Living Well is the Best Revenge
by RositaLG
Summary: 6x09 spoilers. First chapter: post 6x09. Following chapters will be AU. Brennan decides to make a conscious effort to change her life and move on.
1. The Decisions in the Partners

**A/N: Okay, I basically started this chapter to process last night's episode, but I decided to post it because I've got a few chapters in mind of Brennan's new life choices that I think will be a blast to write. And I need something fun to come from this. The whole episode was heart-crushing. PM me if you want to discuss. Also, one of the Google Quotes of the Day this morning was: "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." by ****Anais Nin and I thought that it was especially fitting after last night's episode. **

OOOOO

Booth was staring off into space, mindlessly tossing his magic eight ball back and forth between his hands. Brennan's confession the night before wasn't unexpected, in fact, he had been wondering when she would realize what a mistake she had made in letting him get away. The fact that it had taken almost a year and only then happened during her own personal mental breakdown did little to boost his ego.

He had been seriously concerned about her. He knew that she had let this case get to her in a way that she never let happen before, including her own mother's case. The normally cool-headed woman was snapping at every one and bursting into tears for no reason. She used phrases like "I feel" and jumped to conclusions irrationally with absolutely no evidence. It made a little more sense when she said that she hadn't been sleeping.

Booth had checked in with this Micah guy first thing this morning. He had reported that he had finally sent her home last night after three straight days in the lab without sleeping. He had assured Booth that he had been keeping her fed and talking with her, just as he used to when he stopped by the lab. _'Don't worry. I'm taking good care of your girl.' _Micah had said it sincerely, but it had made Booth's stomach turn. She wasn't his girl anymore and he certainly hadn't been taking care of her lately. It used to be his job to take her home, make sure she ate, and get her out of the lab at the end of the day. With Hannah in his life, he had stopped checking in with Bones. It never occurred to him that she might not leave without his demanding it. His lack of knowledge on what was going on in her head right now scared him and his previous conversation he had had with Sweets didn't help at all.

"_Sweets." Booth said with a nod toward the young psychologist's office as he passed him in the hall. It wasn't a request, it was a command to follow. Sweets finished his conversation and followed Booth into his own office. "I'm worried about Bones." Booth said before Sweets could even ask. _

"_You're not alone in that assessment." Sweets said as he walked over to his desk._

"_She hasn't slept in days, she's irrational, she's breaking down emotionally." He listed off all of the problems. _

"_I'm aware that she is over-empathizing with this particular case." Sweets said. "What do you want me to do about it?"_

"_I don't know, fix her. Isn't that your job?" Sweets paused and stared at Booth in a way that made him suddenly feel like he was naked._

"_You only get this way when you think that you are responsible for the situation." Sweets told him. "Do you feel that what is going on with Dr. Brennan is your fault somehow?" He asked._

"_I'm just trying to look out for my partner." Booth said defensively. _

"_I'll take that as a yes." Sweets said. "Look, Dr. Brennan is going through a lot right now and I'm trying to help her as much as I can, but as you know, with cases like this, sometimes you just have to sort it out on your own. In the past, I wouldn't have bothered telling you that at all because I know that it used to be when you messed with one partner, you got the other." Booth stared at Sweets, unsure of what he was saying. "But now with things being what they are, I'm hoping that you can just continue to give her space and let her comprehend what is going on in her own mind, please?"_

"_Sweets, the victim was suicidal."_

"_I'm aware of that." He said coolly. Booth wanted to punch the boy for not getting as worked up as he was. "She needs this case, Booth. She won't process without it. Just give her time to figure it out."_

"_Fine." He gave in. "But if something happens to her, I swear to God, I will hunt you down and kill you myself." Booth promised as he stormed out of the office. _

It was this meeting and Booth's nagging sense of responsibility for her pain that led him to follow her to that section of town. As soon as he saw her get into the cab, he knew where she was headed. He thanked God at the time that he had been there to pull her out of the way of that car, but at the same time, it had led to one of the hardest conversations that he had ever had to have.

He had never wanted to be cruel, or hurt her in anyway, but at the same time, he had to let her know that he wasn't giving up what he currently had. He really loved Hannah, and he could see a long-term relationship working out with her, especially now that he knew she and Parker got along so well. He couldn't just give that up because Bones wanted a do-over. He wanted to be with someone who _knew_ that they wanted to be with him the first time, who didn't need second chances. He wanted Hannah. He told her a long time ago what he needed to move on and he had done it. There was no need to feel guilty for doing what he always said that he had to do, right? He had moved on successfully and eventually, Bones would to.

OOOOO

Angela strode into Brennan's office, desperate to figure out just what was going on in the anthropologist's head. She locked the door to the office and turned around. She had been preparing for a fight all night and had her speech down flat.

"Do you have a second?" Angela asked.

"Sure, what do you need?" Brennan said as she glanced up from her desk.

"Look, I know that something has been up with you lately and I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on, maybe even let me help you. I know that you are a private person and that you might not want to discuss it but we are all really worried about you so…"

"Angela," She paused her ramblings and looked at Brennan. "I'm feeling better, I promise." Okay, not quite the resistance she had been expecting.

"Really, or are you just saying that to get rid of me?" Angela asked skeptically.

"I know that I was…"

"Insane?"

"I prefer the term confused, for a couple of days. Three to be exact. I'm much better now." She reassured her friend. Exact. She just used the term exact! Maybe she was actually feeling better.

"So what happened over the past three days that caused you so much confusion?"

"The case." She said. "You know how Booth thinks with his gut and gets signals from the universe?" Angela nodded. "I tried it." She said as if she were admitting to stealing or wearing naughty lingerie under her lab coat. "I saw this woman who was just like me in every way, even down to the jewelry, and I just, I over-identified with her."

"Please tell me that you mean aside from the fact that she was lonely, suicidal and dead."

"Of course." Brennan conceded. Angela exhaled sharply, unaware that she had been holding her breath. "And with Booth not around anymore and you guys starting your own little family, I guess I sort of panicked about my situation becoming like hers."

"Sweetie." Angela said, the concern in her voice making Brennan feel loved once more. "You could never be alone. We wouldn't let you, even if you tried. We would fight for you." Angela realized her choice of words were hurtful as soon as they left her mouth. "Sorry, but we would." She said, sticking with her previous thought. "You are loved and don't you ever forget it."

"I know that now, plus I realized something from Micah."

"Who's Micah?"

"The night watchman, we've become very close over the past few days. I realized that this case was here to teach me something, and trust me when I tell you that I heard the lesson loud and clear. So I decided to tell Booth."

"That you love him?" Angela asked wide-eyed.

"I told him that I was aware that I had made a mistake in turning him down and that it was, and will remain to be, my biggest regret in my life."

"Oh my God. What did he say?"

"He said that Hannah wasn't just some consolation prize and that he loved her instead of me." Angela sighed at his cruel but honest answer. If Booth had been in the lab at that moment, she would have smacked him over the back of the head.

"Sweetie, just because he says that doesn't mean it's true. He will always love you in some way, he's your partner."

"Associate." Brenna said with a sigh.

"What?"

"When he introduces us at the crime scene now, he calls me his associate, or he doesn't bother introducing me at all. He hasn't called me his partner in weeks." Angela fell so silent that Brennan had to glance over to gage her reaction to her statement. The fact that she was able to say something so painful in such a detached way killed Angela inside. She had known that something was off between the two, but she had been so wrapped up in her own pregnancy issues that she hadn't noticed the full extent of the problem.

"I could kill him for that." She told her friend, meaning every word.

"He's pulling away, Ange. It hurt at first, but he's right, he has Hannah now and things have to change. I understand that. So now, I just need to focus on the things that I can control. I'm going to get over it, move on. If Booth could do it with his big heart and need for a 'once in a lifetime' sort of love, than I, who know better, most certainly can too." Angela wrapped her friend in a hug.

"The best revenge is living well, right?" She said with a smile. "This is going to work out." She promised. "I don't know how yet, but it will."

"I'm choosing to believe you." Brennan said, her first decision propelling her forward into a new world.

**A/N 2.0: I nearly threw something at my TV last night when I heard the words "associate" fall out of Booth's mouth. I totally understand him not dumping Hannah, but have a little respect for your partner! She doesn't work for you, she works **_**with**_** you. Okay, that's all. Review… or not (but hopefully Review :P )**


	2. Slowly but Surely

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, and if I did, things would have gone down a little differently.**

**A/N: First of all, holy crap you guys! I posted this story thinking I would only get maybe a couple of reviews but it clearly struck a nerve with everyone and for that I am extremely thankful! You all have great ideas and I'm going to use this as a little group therapy for everyone. Tell me what will make you feel better. What do you want the show to be, but can't see because it's all angst, all the time over there. How can Brennan be the best that she can be? Let me know, I'm taking requests. This is for Meg, my anonymous reviewer, because your idea rocked and there will be a chapter in the near future just for you.**

OOOOO

Brennan sat on the bench alone, staring out into the reflecting pool, thinking of Booth. This was her spot away from all of the madness that was their current relationship. It was always her spot. After Booth had asked for more and she had turned him down, she came here. When he announced that he had met Hannah and that it was serious, she was here. When Hannah moved in and gave Booth the telephone that was supposed to be from her, she sat here. When everything was spinning out of control, she came to remind herself that they were the center and the center must hold. And now, strangely enough, the way to keep the center together was for her to move on. The thought was scary, but she was hopeful that she could do it. She had spent the last week building herself up from the last case and the time was just about right to make a move forward.

"Excuse me, I hate to bother you, but I have to ask, is everything okay?" A man asked as he stopped walking to examine her sad face.

"Everything is fine." She said.

"Are you sure? Because you look like someone just ran over your puppy." He said with a concerned smirk.

"I don't have a puppy." She informed him. The man chuckled and sat down next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. "When I'm upset, I find that talking to a complete stranger at dawn in a public place is the best way to get things off your mind." He said, looking around with a grin.

"Why would I tell you anything if I don't know you?" She asked him, curious about his offer.

"Good point." The man acquiesced as he thought about it. "Maybe because I don't know a thing about the situation and you can be totally honest about how you feel without any repercussions. It's very liberating talking to a stranger. I do it all the time."

"So you're filled with other people's secrets?" Brennan asked.

"I prefer to think of it as other people are filled with mine." He said. "My name's Eric." He said as he held out his hand.

"Temperance." She said, shaking his hand. Booth would have commented about how dangerous it was to be talking to a total stranger, but for some reason, this knowledge spurred her on even more.

"What a great name." He said, honestly meaning it. "So Temperance, why the long face?"

OOOOO

Brennan sat and talked to Eric for two hours. She started at the beginning, from the very first case and she poured out everything that had happened between her and Booth, leaving out most of the personal details because she still firmly believed that those were only for her and Booth to share with each other. By the time she finished, she was exhausted from talking, the sun was up and she and Eric had finished two coffees each.

"So, he told you that he knew that you were the one, and then turned right around and told you that he had to move on." Eric said, his face puzzled.

"Yes."

"And now he's with this Hannah woman, who is everything he's ever wanted and more."

"Yes." She nodded.

"And you told him that you regretted letting him get away, but you guys are still working together."

"Yes." She said again.

"What complete bullshit." Eric said. "You don't just ask someone to love you for the rest of their life and then turn around and fall in love with someone else." He muttered. Brennan couldn't help but smile at him taking her side. It felt good to be unequivocally sided with for once. Brennan glanced down as his watch started beeping.

"What time is it?" She asked, suddenly aware that she should have been to work a long time ago.

"Eight forty-five." He said.

"I've got to get to work." She said standing up in a rush. "They are going to wonder where I am."

"Me too." He said as he pulled out a card. "Here's my number. You have to call me and let me know what happens next. I want updates." He smiled. "And no more sitting alone on park benches by yourself. You never know what kind of stranger might walk by." He said with a sly smile.

OOOOO

Brennan hurried through the doors of the lab and went straight for her office for her lab coat.

"Where have you been?" Booth asked. "I've been trying your cell phone for forty-five minutes!" He said as he followed her. "And now you're late for work? You're never late." He said. "What's going on?"

"I turned my phone off to conserve the battery until I could get to the charger, which I left here." She said as she pulled out her phone and plugged it in for good measure. "And I'm here now. Do we have a case?" She asked.

"Yeah." Booth said, examining her face as he realized that she was straight up lying to him. They had gone through a lot, but she had never, to his knowledge, lied to him so blatantly.

"Well then, let's go." She said as she threw her hair up in a ponytail as she walked out to the platform.

OOOOO

As the days passed on, Brennan spent very little time outside the lab. It reminded Booth of when she had been upset with him over Zack leaving for Iraq. He knew that whatever was going on with her, it was in direct correlation with their conversation in his car. She was shutting him out, and frankly, he couldn't really blame her for that one. He had done the same thing for awhile. It was self-preservation.

"Hey Bones. Wanna grab something to eat?" He asked, using his charm smile that she usually fell for instantly. He knew it was desperate, but he hated not knowing what was going on with her anymore.

"Not right now." Brennan barely glanced up from the skeleton in front of her before she muttered to him. "I'm working."

"Have you eaten yet today?" He asked, making a conscious effort to take better care of her, especially after her recent proof that she simply wouldn't take the time to do so herself. "Bones, you've got to..."

"I've got lunch plans, Booth." She reassured him. "I will eat, I promise." It wasn't like she wasn't eating with him just to spite him; that would be immature. She really did have plans. Besides if he was so concerned about her well being, he wouldn't have abandoned their friendship. She finally looked at him and when she did, she was surprised by what she saw. He looked hurt. Maybe she was being too short with him.

"Oh, well, good." He said bravely, trying not to take it personally.

"I appreciate the fact that you care enough to check." She said more kindly this time. It was time to change the subject. "I should have an identity by this afternoon."

"Great. We can investigate from there." He said, leaving the lab even more confused than when he originally walked in. As he was walking out, a man with a bag of food was walking in.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Dr. Brennan?" He asked.

"Who's asking?" Booth looked the stranger up and down before meeting his gaze again.

"Her lunch date." The man said, holding up the bag of food with a smile. "Eric Stiles." He said, holding out his hand to shake. "And I'm guessing by your protective tone of voice that you must be Agent Booth."

"That's right." Booth said before taking the hand, clearly interested in how this man knew him. "I'll walk you in." He said, wanting to gage Brennan's reaction to the man's entrance.

"Great." Eric smiled, taking in the agent. Booth turned around and walked back through the lab doors.

"Hey Bones. Your lunch date is here." Booth said, knowing that would get her attention. She smiled as she stopped working and immediately took off her gloves, tossing them in the nearest receptacle. Booth was shocked. Every one of the squints started coming out of their respective offices to watch the scene play out.

"Hi." She said, never taking her eyes off of the man standing next to Booth. "I thought we were going out?"

"We were." He said. "And I know you don't believe in fate, but I was on 18th street for a meeting and it was right next door so..." Eric said, flashing a far too charming smile for Booth's tastes as he waved the bag in front of her.

"You didn't!" Brennan said, surprised that he remembered. It was her favorite vegetarian spot in the city; a small hole in the wall that she was sure no one knew about apart from her. She had found it when she returned from Indonesia, but had visited it at least twice a week since then. All of her other eating spots reminded her too much of Booth, or had been invaded by having to spend time with him and Hannah together. When Eric had mentioned it being his favorite, Brennan had very nearly gasped out loud.

"Don't be too impressed, I just mentioned your name and Geoff had your order ready for you." He said with a laugh. In return, her crooked 'You're spoiling me' smile appeared. It was the one usually reserved for Booth, but then again, who else had ever spoiled her?

"That's because I tip him handsomely." She explained, her smile still in place.

"I figured we could eat at the pool." Eric said. "But grab your trench coat first. If you think I'm giving you my jacket again after that coffee fiasco last week, you are sorely mistaken." He said pushing her towards her office.

"Hey, I paid for the dry cleaning." She defended herself. Booth felt his nails cutting into his palm before he realized it was happening. The reflecting pool was their spot. What was she doing with other men at the reflecting pool?

Cam and Angela glanced at each other from across the lab. This was not going to end well. The two coworkers met in the middle of the entryway, where Booth was still standing dumbfounded.

"Who the Hell was that?" He asked Angela.

"I honestly have no idea." She said as she glanced at Cam.

"Don't look at me." She said. "I'm just her boss."

"I need a computer." Booth said, snapping out of his funk.

"You're going to run him?" Cam stated more than asked.

"Damn straight." He said as he walked into her office. Cam gave a shrug towards Angela and followed him.

"I would protest, but I'm so damn curious I can't work up the energy to pretend otherwise." Angela said as she sat down next to Booth. They both watched in silence as Booth tapped angrily at the computer.

"Here we go…" Booth said as he started getting back some returns.

"Eric Stiles, thirty five years old, born in Maryland, blah blah, blah…" He said as he scrolled down. "He's a surgeon at George Washington."

"No way!" Angela said. "And she kept him a secret from me?" She said, turning the monitor so she could verify Booth's facts.

"That's probably how they met." Cam said. "It's only a couple of blocks from the Jeffersonian."

"I can't believe she kept this a secret!" Angela said. "If she thinks I'm nosey when I know that she's dating someone…" She didn't finish as she stormed out of Cam's office. Cam turned her attention to the defeated agent still sitting at her desk.

"You okay, big guy?" She asked him.

"It's weird, right? That she wouldn't say anything to anyone?" He wanted, no, needed confirmation that it wasn't just him that felt cut out of her life. Just a few weeks earlier she had been telling him that she had made a huge mistake in letting him go, and now she was going on dates? Although, to be fair, she had never said that she loved him. She had never said that she expected a shot. She just had wanted him to know that she regretted it. The ambiguity of her confession was of more importance now.

"Dr. Brennan has always been very private with her relationships. I'm sure she just wanted to maintain some level of professionalism in the workplace." Booth stared at her before throwing his head down on the desk in a tantrum.

"Oh my God, is it really that bad?" He groaned in frustration. "You, Dr. Camille Saroyan, are the one other person who is never supposed to lie to me outside of Bones. Now you're both lying to me! I can't handle this anymore." He stood up and was ready to leave when Cam grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Hey." She said, her anger at the man growing by the minute. "I told you what would happen if you cracked that shell and then changed your mind. I told you that she would die of loneliness before she ever trusted anyone ever again. What did you do? You cracked the shell and then changed your mind and it nearly cost me my anthropologist!" He opened his mouth in protest, but Cam shot him a look. "If Dr. Brennan is happy with the surgeon then you have to let her make the decisions. She has been nothing but supportive of you and your decisions even though it has torn her up inside. Now it's your turn to do the same." She said as she let go of his arm, a clear signal that it was time for him to leave her office. Booth knew that she was right, but her logical answer did nothing to stop his urge to find out everything he could about this man.

OOOOO

When Brennan got back, Angela was sitting at her desk.

"What are you doing?" Brennan asked as she reached around her friend for her lab coat.

"I believe the more important question is 'Who are_ you_ doing?" Angela asked, refusing to get up from Brennan's desk. Brennan rolled her eyes at her friend's crude remarks. "You weren't going to tell me, your best friend in the whole entire world, that you were dating someone?"

"We're not dating." Brennan said as she buttoned her coat.

"No? You're just picnicking in the park with all the attractive surgeons in DC?" Angela said incredulously.

"How did you know that?"

"Booth ran him." Angela said. "Which is not the way a friend wants to find out that she's been kept out of the dark, but for Booth…"

"What about Booth?" Brennan said, the anger in her usually calm voice cut Angela off. "He's always doing that, with everyone that I come in contact with. I don't run his girlfriends. I don't storm in when they are out on their dates."

"I thought you said you weren't dating." Angela said.

"We're not, but that's not the point. I know that I turned him down, but he turned me down too." She said. "Why can't he just let me move on like he did?" She asked.

"Is this why you kept it a secret? To hide it from Booth?"

"I kept it a secret because it's better that way." She said.

"Why?"

"I didn't want what happened with Booth to happen again. I compartmentalize, it keeps me rational at work and helps me do my job properly. But every time that Booth or Hannah walks through the door, everyone expects me to suddenly snap and kill one of them in a jealous rage."

"No one would blame you if you did." Angela said with a smile. "Even I've thought about it, and I don't even love the man."

"This drama that surrounds us, it's affecting every aspect of my life now and I don't want that. I need someone in my life that lets me forget about Booth and work and the constant staring from my colleagues!" She finally broke. "I love my job, Ange. I know that now more than ever. It's gratifying but after all that time that we all spent apart, I realized just how much I have invested in this group. I don't want to get tired of this job again and have to lose everyone attached to it. I don't want to get tired of everyone attached to it and have to quit my job. I just…needed to get some distance, some perspective. I had to make a change." Angela was quiet as she processed what Brennan was saying to her.

"Okay." She said, completely won over by Brennan's honesty. "You're right." She said. "But can I just ask how you met this amazing guy that you _aren't_ dating?"

"We met at the reflecting pool a couple of weeks ago. I was sitting on a bench drinking coffee and he was walking by. We just started talking and before I knew it, I had told him the whole story about what had been going on for the past few years. We talked for two hours."

"The day you were late for work." Angela said, connecting the dots.

"Yes." She said. "We've been meeting regularly for lunch or coffee ever since."

"So he knows everything?" Angela asked, surprised by her statement.

"Everything, but we never talk about it. As a surgeon he understands my need for distraction from topics like work. We talk about trivial things, normal things." She said. "It's light-hearted but it's nice to not have to think about murder or Booth and Hannah or what people think I think about Booth and Hannah." Angela smiled. "I need this, Ange, for my own sanity." Angela was surprised, but she found herself agreeing with Brennan.

"Okay." She said. "I'll let you keep your secret man a secret."

"Thank you."

"But just so you know, the whole thing drove Booth absolutely mad with jealousy." She informed her friend before leaving her office. Brennan frowned.

"That is exactly what I was referring to earlier!" Brennan called out as Angela smiled.

OOOOO

"How was your lunch date?" Booth asked as nonchalantly as he could muster before glancing in the rearview mirror.

"It was very fun, thank you for asking." She said with a smile.

"I must admit, Bones, I was surprised to meet him considering you never mentioned him before." He said.

"Judging from your tone, you want to know why." She assumed.

"It's just strange, you know, that you would keep something like that from me. You're usually so honest about everything." He said.

"You want me to be honest?" She asked.

"Always." He said. Brennan saw the sincerity in his eyes so she decided to give him what he wanted.

"The truth is that I enjoy spending time with Eric because he has nothing to do with work." She said. Booth glanced at her in surprise. "I've found that having someone completely separate from my job has been very beneficial for me."

"Beneficial?" Booth asked.

"Yes. I've always compartmentalized very well, but with all of my friends and family working in the lab, I hadn't realized how much time I spent surrounded by work, even when I wasn't working. You knew this; it was why I went to Indonesia."

"You needed a break."

"Yes. Now, I've found that being with Eric takes me out of the work setting and selfishly, I wanted him to stay separated from the rest of my life."

"So what, you were just going to keep him a secret and not tell anyone about him?" Booth asked, desperate to figure it out.

"I hadn't thought about it." She said. "But now you've met him, so it will admittedly be harder to keep the two pieces of my life apart." Booth stared straight ahead and processed what she was telling him. She liked this guy because he had nothing to do with work. He got her out of the lab and brought out the fun side of her. Why was he suddenly feeling like Eric was the replacement Booth?

"Well, I'm glad that you are happy, Bones." He said. Yes, he wanted Bones to be happy. He had wished for it every day for years. He had promised her a long time ago that one day she would believe in love and feel open and loved in return. A part of him just always assumed that it would be with him.

"Thank you, Booth. I'm glad that you are happy with Hannah." She said with a smile.


	3. Sexual Healing

"I need your help." Brennan said as she rushed into Angela's office.

"What's wrong?" She asked, startled by Brennan's uncharacteristically rattled appearance.

"I'm dating Eric." She said, surprised by the notion herself.

"Really?" Angela said, immediately pulling her closer in for girl talk. "When did this little development start?"

"This afternoon. He said that he enjoyed my company and that when I was ready to move on, he wanted to ask me out."

"And you said?"

"That I was ready." She said. "As soon as he said it, I wanted to go out with him. It was very strange." She admitted. "But now, I'm realizing just how long it has been since I've been on a first date with someone I actually want to impress."

"It's been a while." Angela agreed. "Where is he taking you?"

"I don't know. Dinner." She shrugged. "He didn't say."

"Do you want it to be more than dinner?" Angela asked, a naughty smile creeping onto her lips.

"Yes. I would like that very much."

"Okay, then you'll have to go first date sexy." Angela said with a smile.

"First date sexy?" She asked.

"You know, confident sexy. You're going to be nervous at first so wear something that makes you feel good, wanted, and most importantly will make it easy to have hot passionate sex with a handsome doctor." Brennan smiled.

"I know what I'm going to wear." She said, the attire popping into her head. "Can you cover for me while I run home and get everything? Booth is coming to finish the paperwork for the case so I told Eric that he would have to pick me up here."

"Sure," Angela said. "oh, and Sweetie?"

"Yes."

"You can do this. You'll be fine." She reassured her friend.

"Thanks." She said with a smile.

OOOOO

Angela sighed as she glanced at the clock. What could possibly be taking her so long to get ready? She had been in there for twenty minutes!

"Bren, might I remind you that I'm pregnant, tired and cranky? I swear to God if you don't come out of that bathroom right now…" Brennan walked out of the office bathroom in the highest heels she had ever worn. "Oh my God." Angela said as she slumped against the wall.

"Do I look okay?" She asked her friend. She still couldn't believe that she was doing this. She hadn't worn anything remotely like this since her undercover in Vegas with Booth, but the current times called for extreme measures and for once, she was going to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. And right now, she wanted to get laid. It was surprisingly rebellious of her, but she wanted to get back to her old self, the woman she was before Booth changed her mind on love. Dr. Temperance Brennan was stepping out of her shell.

"Who are you and what did you do with sad Dr. Brennan?" Angela asked. "Sweetie, you look…hot." She stuttered. Brennan ran a hand nervously through her curls. "Ten bucks says that Eric has a coronary before you can take him home." Angela said.

"Proverbially speaking of course." Brennan said.

"I never implied that." Angela said seriously.

"Please do, because I really want tonight to go well."

"Don't worry. You deserve this Bren. I'm really glad that you decided to jump back on the dating bandwagon."

"It's only logical to assume that if Booth can move on and be happy, then I can too, right?" Brennan smiled as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"Who cares if you're happy, at this point I will settle for you getting off the couch and into someone's bed. Progress is progress." Angela said. Brennan walked as quickly as she could for the exit but only made it halfway down the lab hallway before seeing the all too familiar broad scapulas of Booth's back. She ducked into the nearest room and Angela shut the door quickly. Both Cam and Booth turned to see what had made the noise.

"Hi guys." She said as casually as she could muster. "I didn't know anyone was still here."

"Angela, have you seen Bones? She was supposed to sign this and she didn't." She glanced to the right briefly.

"Awkward, awkward, awkward." Angela murmured when she realized Brennan was hiding in the janitor's closet. She quickly walked towards Booth.

"She's a little busy right now. Is it important?"

"Yeah, Federal prosecutor needs them tonight. Where is she?" He asked. The swish of the front door of the lab captured their attention long enough for Brennan to hop out of the closet.

"Eric! Hi!" Angela said, walking over with an outstretched hand. "I'm Angela. It's nice to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." He said, shaking her hand. "Temperance has told me a lot about you."

"Well it's all true." She said with a wink.

"In that case, she is very lucky to have a friend like you in her life."

"Aw. Flattery will get you everywhere." She said with a grin. "You remember Agent Booth, and this is Dr. Saroyan."

"Nice to meet…" He didn't bother finishing his sentence as he caught Brennan walking towards them. Everyone turned to see what had caused the man to suddenly become slack jawed. Booth nearly died at the sight of his partner walking down the hall towards them. She was in full Roxie get up and looking every bit as stunning as she did four years prior.

"Hi." Brennan said with a coy smile. "Thanks for picking me up here. We had to finish a case." She explained. Cam glanced over at Booth to check to see if he was still breathing.

"It's no problem." He said honestly.

"Oh, before you go." Cam said handing her a file. "You need to sign these."

"Just one second?" Brennan smiled at Eric, who nodded politely as if his eyes weren't popping out of his head. She grabbed the file and walked up to the platform table. The entire team watched as she bent over slightly to sign the paperwork. Her dress left nothing to the imagination and while they were getting the back view, Eric was most certainly getting the front. The team was in total awe of how blatantly she was playing this new role. Booth was the only one who had ever seen that side of her, and he had remembered being just as shocked at how coolly sexual she could be. It was a complete one-eighty from her usual persona, but Brennan was keenly aware of her own sexuality, and even worse? She knew how to use it to her advantage.

"All done." Brennan said with a smile as she handed the paperwork back to Booth.

"Great." Angela said. "You two have fun and we'll see you on Monday." She said as she pushed the couple out the door. She smiled as she turned back around to face Cam and Booth.

"Nice work Angela."

"I didn't do a thing." She divulged. "She came out looking like that on her own."

"I would have never thought that she owned that type of dress." Cam said. "And those heels…wow."

"What kind of dress?" Booth asked. Angela glanced at Cam.

"A Fuck Me dress." Angela said, hoping the agent in front of her would get the hint as she turned to head back to her office.

"Wow, kudos for saying that out loud." Cam muttered to the artist as she followed Angela's lead and left. Booth could still hear every word.

"Well, it's true. I can't believe it's taken her this long. I mean, I barely made it a few months on the celibacy train. She's been sitting on the shelf for years, just waiting to be uncorked and now that she's got the green light to move on…" Angela smirked.

"Hey, standing right here! I can still hear you!" He yelled back at the women who were choosing to ignore him. He shuddered, physically trying to shake off the thoughts of someone else touching his partner all weekend.

OOOOO

Brennan smiled as she felt Eric's lips against her shoulder, waking her up from her first deep sleep in a long time.

"Where did you get this scar?" He asked her, running his fingertip over the scar on her lower arm.

"From a crazy doctor wielding a scalpel." She said, the tired smirk on her face letting him know that she found the thought amusing given her current bedmate was a surgeon.

"Hmm, anyone I know?" He asked playfully.

"Knew." She murmured. "Remember how I told you Booth was a sniper? He came around the corner and shot the guy in the forehead before he could even set his first foot down over the threshold of the room. It was actually the best shot I've ever seen him take."

"Good for Booth." He said, happy he had saved the day. "What about this one?" He asked, pointing to her shoulder.

"Grazed by a bullet." She said. She sometimes forgot that Eric didn't know her like Booth did. He was a blank slate, which meant that she could escape, but it also meant that she had to explain every story, which was tougher for her to do, but she thought that she was making progress. She turned to look at him and he had a look on his face that she couldn't decipher. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I hate that you have all of these scars." He said honestly. "You have too many for a woman of your age." His words were both literal and metaphoric.

"I've been the cause of just as many." She admitted, the truth in her eyes surprising him.

"Not on purpose." He said.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Because I know you, and you would never intentionally hurt anyone." That was actually true. He knew about her childhood, about her career, he knew her. And for the first time, he knew it all ahead of time. She smiled.

"I like that you know me." She realized out loud.

"I like that I know you too." He smiled as he kissed her softly again.

OOOOO

Brennan strolled into work Monday morning looking like she had spent forty-eight hours in an expensive spa. Angela smiled at Hodgins and nodded towards the open lab doors.

"Hey Sweetie, you look happy." She noted as Brennan walked up the platform.

"I am. Very happy." She said with a smile. "What are you working on?" She asked Hodgins as she examined the tools on the table.

"Trace particulates were found on a frozen archery set in Greenland and they are hoping that I can decipher what they are and if they are anthropologically significant." Brennan smiled widely.

"Can you?" Angela asked.

"Of course I can." He said. "I'm offended you even have to ask. I'm King of the Lab, aren't I?"

"Not today." Angela said. "Today, Brennan is Queen of the Lab and there will be no discussion about it." She said confidently.

"Ancient remains, no murder, _and_ I'm Queen of the Lab? I knew today was going to be a good day." Brennan said with a smile. As she made her way down the steps, the familiar ring tone that she had been expecting eventually rang from her pocket. She didn't need to see the caller ID to know it was Booth.

"Don't answer that!" Hodgins asked as his hands hovered protectively over his ancient arrows. "I was so close!"

"Sorry, Hodgins. Saving people's lives comes before dusty arrows." Cam said as she strode by, not knowing at all what they had been talking about, but knowing her team well enough to deduce what was going on. At the sight of his pout, Angela patted her husband on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Better luck next time." She said with a smile.

OOOOO

As Booth waited for Brennan in his car outside the Jeffersonian, he couldn't help but think about just how different she had looked on Friday night compared to a few weeks ago. It had been almost a month since the case that nearly destroyed her and three days since she had declared war on his thoughts. Hannah had been on assignment all weekend, thank God. He had woken up in the middle of the night with haunting dreams, little memory souvenirs of their time in Vegas. Dreams starting with them going undercover and ending with them under the covers. Whether it was her caring for his boxing cuts or him unzipping that little black dress that he had so slowly zipped up in real life, the dreams had all ended in hot, wild, and passionate sex. But the worst had been one in which he had taken her from behind against a poker table, chips flying everywhere as she fought to grip the edge of the table, her breasts spilling out of the top of her tight black dress. It was the worst because he knew that it didn't come from his memory. It came from seeing her bend over that platform table just a few days prior. Booth hadn't had a sex dream about Brennan in over a year and now here he was, fantasizing about her after one small scene in the lab. He hated her for that, for the control she had over him. She made him feel weak but he figured that the feeling was probably mutual on some level. You can't share a history like theirs without being vulnerable with the other person.

"Hi." She said as she climbed into the SUV.

"Hey." He said as he shifted the car into drive and headed for the crime scene. The silence that followed was actually quite normal for them recently, so Booth didn't bother to change it. The scene was only a couple of blocks away in the tidal basin, so the ride was mercifully short. She quickly jumped out of the car and pulled out her jumpsuit and gum boots. She nonchalantly put her hair up in a ponytail, just like she always did before investigating a dirty or wet crime scene. Booth noticed that she had a hickey behind her ear which, until that point, had been hidden beneath her hair. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he looked away. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about someone else marking his partner while he was supposed to be working.

"Booth, over here." Charlie said. "Hey Dr. Brennan."

"Hi Charlie." Brennan said with a smile. "What are you doing out in the field? And in such casual attire." She noticed as she gave him the once-over.

"See that family on vacation, right over there?" He said as he pointed to a group of people talking on the shoreline. "Those are my in-laws." He said. "What do you say to your mother-in-law when you can't rent the paddleboats as promised because there's a dead body floating up against the dock?" He asked Booth as he rolled his eyes.

"Welcome to DC." Booth said as they made their way over to the dock. Brennan hit her knee and got to work examining the body.

"Female, mid thirties to forties, judging by the rate of decomposition, I would estimate that she's been in the water maybe five to seven days." Booth shook his head, not buying the story.

"This is a popular spot, someone would have reported something suspicious way before this morning." Brennan paused briefly at his refusal of her information, but shrugged it off.

"Big storm last night might have knocked her loose from a storm sewer or something." Charlie offered.

"We're going to need Cam. There's too much tissue for me to do my job until she examines the body and removes the flesh. You should know that by now so why didn't you call her instead of me?" Brennan asked as she stood up and stared at Booth. Because I wanted to see if you would stop having sex long enough to answer your phone, Booth thought honestly.

"I don't know these things. They just call me and say 'We've got a dead body' and I call you. That's the way it works." He said with a shrug. "Beyond that, you deal with the bodies. I deal with the people and tell the team to wrap it all up and take it to the Jeffersonian." She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled.

"Alright, then. Go for it." She said, handing him the reigns. "Cam's going to need this body as soon as possible." She said as she took off her gloves and headed back to the car to change out of her suit. Booth shouted out the orders and followed her back to the car.

OOOOO

"Dr. B, what's the situation?" Hodgins asked quickly, hoping that he wasn't needed.

"Tissue." She said. "Cam needs to examine the body." She said. "We won't need you for a few hours."

"Yes! Queen of the Lab!" Hodgins said as he pointed at her and ran to his station to get back to work on his particulates.

"What's his deal?" Booth asked.

"He's analyzing particulates on ancient weaponry."

"Cool, like swords and stuff?"

"Arrows actually." She said as they headed toward her office.

"Oh, not as cool." Booth decided with a disappointed frown as he sat down on her couch. His phone began to buzz in his pocket and he quickly moved to answer it, knowing it was Hannah. "Hi." He said, suddenly feeling better at hearing her voice. "Yeah, that sounds great." He said honestly. "What time do you…Oh. Um, okay, let me see." He put his hand over the mouth piece of the phone. "Psst, hey Bones. How long do you think Cam will take on the body?"

"I don't know, a couple of hours?" She said.

"Great." He said as he went back to his conversation with Hannah. "I'll be right there." He said before hanging up. "Hannah's flight is getting in early so I'm just going to go... you know, pick her up. Give me a call when you know something?"

"Sure." Brennan said as he practically ran out of her office. He knew that what he was really up to wasn't a secret, but that didn't mean that he had to come right out and tell her that he was about to go spend the next few hours having sex with his girlfriend. After all, when their positions were reversed, he hated being reminded that someone else was touching her in ways that he would never know, outside of his dreams that is. He broke away from his thoughts and concentrated on Hannah, his lovely, adventurous, fiery Hannah. She was his own personal light at the end of the tunnel and just thinking about her brought a smile to his face. He loved her in a way that he never thought he could love anyone after Bones turned him down, and every time he looked in her eyes, he saw hope, a future. She had saved him from his own heartache and for that, he would always be grateful to her.


	4. Fighting and Fruit

**A/N: This wasn't what I was planning on writing for this chapter but I sat down and wrote three new story ideas before this finally poured out of my finger-tips. The muses have spoken and they will not be denied. I hope it's okay. :S Let me know!**

After Cam's tissue work was done, Brennan was given permission to x-ray the body so she could at least get a start on her own work. She stared at the x-rays, willing them to morph into something easier to deal with, a change of the facts. Her relationship with Booth was strained enough as it was and this was just going to…

"Hey Sweetie. I've got your reconstruction done." Angela said as she walked in and held up a sketch. Brennan turned around briefly but went back to staring at her x-rays. "Oh no, I know that face. What's wrong?" She asked.

"Would you see if you can find a match between missing persons and the D.O.D database?" She asked.

"You think this woman was in the military?" Angela asked as she went to work on the nearest computer.

"She has all the same bone fractures as someone who has been tortured very recently. If she wasn't in the military, she was killed by someone who was very familiar with the techniques."

"You were never in the military. How do you know the techniques?" She asked.

"Booth's x-rays." She said simply. Angela sat down in the nearest chair and whistled.

"He's not going to like this case." Brennan shook her head, already knowing her statement to be true. The computer next to her beeped twice, signaling its completion. "We've got a match. You were right, a military background." She turned the screen around so that she could show her the picture. "Her name is Sarah Thomas." Brennan picked up her phone and sent off the first text to Booth.

OOOOO

"Best welcome home present ever." Hannah muttered exhaustedly as she lay next to Booth, trying to catch her breath. "Maybe I should go away more often." She teased.

"What can I say? I missed you." He said as he soothed the hickey on her neck with his tongue.

"I missed you too." She said. He kissed her once and his phone began beeping, signaling his call back to reality.

"That was fast. Even for them." He said as he opened the text. "They've got an identity. I've really got to go."

"Okay." She said. "Hey, why don't I pick up Parker from school today and we meet you at the diner for dinner." She offered as he begins to get dressed. Booth smiled at her mention of his son. They had really hit it off since the park, and he couldn't have been happier about it.

"That sounds great." He said as his phone beeped again. "God, I'm coming." He scolded the inanimate object. Hannah just smiled.

"I love you." She said with a final kiss.

"Love you too." He said as he ran out the door.

"Good luck!" She cried after him.

OOOOO

"Sarah Thomas." Brennan said as Booth made his way up the platform. She nodded towards the folder on the table behind her. "Missing ten days." Brennan said. Booth cracked the folder open with a frown.

"But decomp said five to seven days." Booth said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Plus, the body could have only washed up into the Basin this morning or someone would have been reported it."

"Serious injuries suggest torture for the first three days." Brennan said. "Hands were bound, several fractures to her hands and feet, very similar to your own." She added quietly. "File shows signs of a military background. If I didn't know any better, I would believe that she sustained these injuries recently in Iraq or Afghanistan."

"How recently?" He asked.

"Just before her death. The fractures didn't have time to heal." She said.

"Well, she couldn't have been tortured in Iraq or Afghanistan and ended up in the Potomac two days later." Booth said.

"Lung tissue samples confirm that she died by drowning." Cam said as she walked onto the platform. "Do you think she was tortured until she was unconscious and maybe dropped in the water somewhere?"

"Let me get this straight. You're saying that this girl was tortured to death" he said to Brennan before turning to Cam "and you are telling me that she drowned?" He asked.

"Well that's an easy one." Hodgins said as he joined the party. They all stared at each other, wondering where he was going with this. "Water boarding." He said. Booth closed his eyes. His day just got a lot more complicated.

OOOOO

"Hey kid, what do you have there?" Hannah asked as Parker pulled a photo album out of his backpack and set it on the table.

"Pictures. It was show and tell day at school."

"Cool, can I see?" She asked.

"Sure." He opened it up and Hannah smiled at the pictures of him and his father.

"Who took these?" She asked.

"Bones."

"They're good." She said. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed that a majority of the pictures were either taken by Temperance or featured her.

"We usually spend Christmas with Bones." He said as he pointed to one of the pictures from when he was younger. "And this is her helping me with my homework. Dad used to go into the other room to call and ask her questions, but he thought I didn't know." He smiled. "Finally she just started coming over when I had projects." He said.

"You guys are pretty close with Temperance, huh?" She observed.

"Yeah. She's been Dad's best friend since I was in pre-school." He said. There was one picture of the two of them laughing that was taken without them knowing it. They were playing a game and Booth was doing a victory dance in Brennan's unamused face.

"I took this one!" He said with a smile. "They always ended up fighting on game night. It was funny."

"Game night?"

"Yeah, we always used to have game night on Fridays when I stayed here." He said. "Bones came over sometimes. She's really good on the Wii. She says it's because she knows lots of martial arts and she has good focus."

"Oh yeah? That sounds like a lot of fun. Why did you stop?" She asked. Parker shrugged.

"We haven't spent any time with Bones since Dad went to Afghanistan."And came back with me, Hannah realized.

"Is that why you didn't like me at first? Because you thought that I replaced Temperance?" Parker nodded ever so slightly.

"Dad always told Bones that there was more than one kind of family and that she was a part of our family. And she was kind of like my pretend mom when I was here. She made me eat vegetables and all that stuff. Then Dad went away and now Bones never comes over anymore. Max said that it was evolution."

"Who's Max?" Hannah asked.

"Bones' dad. He's the science teacher at the lab. He said that everything changes, sometimes even atoms." Parker looked down.

"Well, if you miss her, then we should invite her and Eric along to dinner tonight." Hannah said.

"Who's Eric?" He asked.

"Her boyfriend." Hannah said.

"Bones has a boyfriend now too!" His eyes got wide and he threw his head down on his arms in exasperation, covering his eyes. I hate evolution! Parker thought with a pout.

OOOOO

"Oh, look who's here." Booth said as he saw Eric walk through the door of the diner. Brennan turned and waved him over.

"Hello." Brennan said with a grin as Eric slid into the seat next to her at the table. She gave him a quick kiss.

"Hi. How was your day?" He asked her.

"Good, we solved the case." She said with a smile.

"You solved the case?" He looked at the pair in surprise. "I thought you just found the body this morning." He said.

"In this case, the murderer was incredibly stupid." Brennan said. "The woman was tortured and drowned by water boarding and then her body was dumped into the river to make it look as if she had drowned there, but the water in her lungs was not river water, it was tap water." She said.

"Why would someone want to torture her to begin with?" He asked.

"She was a former soldier who was now actively protesting the torture that she had witnessed being done by her fellow soldiers. Someone in the military wanted to keep her quiet." Booth said.

"The injuries suggested that they were trying to prove a point." Brennan said.

"I'll say." Eric winced.

"Hodgins simply traced the water in the lungs back to the neighborhood where it came from. We searched the list of house owners for those with military training and only got one hit." Brennan said.

"He started to confess as soon as we got him in the room. She apparently had information that she was going to share with the higher-ups about this man's experience torturing Iraqi innocents. He didn't want that to get out, so he locked her in his basement for three days and did what he did best." Booth said.

"Wow. I knew that you guys were good, but I am seriously impressed." He said to his girlfriend.

"Thank you." She smiled as she kissed him again. Booth tore his eyes away from the couple's private moment just in time to see his son and Hannah walk through the door.

"Hey buddy." Booth said as he gave his son a hug. "How was school?"

"Good." He stopped and looked at Eric.

"Hannah, Parker, this is Dr. Eric Stiles. Eric, this is Booth's girlfriend Hannah Burley, and his son Parker." Brennan introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you." Eric said with a nod.

"You're a doctor?" Parker asked.

"Yes."

"Do you work at the lab?"

"No, I'm a brain surgeon. I work at a hospital."

"So you cut into people's brains?" He said, his eyes growing wide.

"Yes."

"While they are still alive?" He asked.

"Yes." Eric chuckled. Brennan smiled. She was surprised by her sudden desire for Parker to approve of him.

"That's so cool." He said, clearly won over by Eric already. "My dad had brain surgery once."

"I heard that." Eric said politely, not wanting to bring up anything from the past that might hurt Brennan. Booth was surprised and glanced at his partner briefly, wondering just how much of his life had come up in conversation.

"I've never been friends with a real doctor before. All mine only cut into dead bodies." The entire table laughed.

"What do you mean 'yours'?" Booth asked. "Last time I checked, they were 'my' people."

"And we are very much real doctors." Brennan protested.

"Cam and Bones are my people! They're family!" Parker said to his father. "Except not blood family, just family, family." He explained in a side conversation to Eric, who smiled at the boy's words. "Dad says it's just like blood family, but we like them even more because we're not forced to like them like with Uncle Jared." Hannah chuckled and shook her head, knowing that's exactly something Booth would say.

"Speaking of family, Max tells me that you got second place in your science fair." Brennan said.

"Yeah, I should have gotten first, but Ben Bradley cheated. His father did the whole project for him." He explained.

"Well, I'm incredibly proud that you did so well on your own."

"Dad helped a little." Parker said. "But you know, not a lot." Parker said. Brennan laughed, knowing the level of Booth's science skills.

"Your father is a man of many, many talents, but science is not one of them." She agreed.

"Hey, Bones. Sitting right here!" Booth said, offended by her comment.

"What? It's true!" She said. "We've had this discussion several times. I will never be able to have your interpersonal relationship skills or your ability to fire a weapon, and you will never be able to determine cause of death by looking at a set of remains. Why does that fact still offend you?" She asked.

"Because, Bones, you make me feel like a Neanderthal!" He said.

"Why is that a bad thing? Homo Neanderthalensis were actually quite resourceful given the size of their brains!" She said.

"They always do this." Parker said to the forgotten spectators at the table, a smile on his face as he watched the familiar interaction between the pair. Booth groaned at her correction.

"That! See! That right there." Booth said. "You're always doing that. Why do you have to correct me all the time?"

"To help you evolve." She said, the words leaving her lips before she could stop them. It was an automatic response, but it was a habit that now needed to be broken given the fact that their significant others were also at the table. They both looked down at the table, the sudden silence creating a slight awkward moment between the pair as they recalled the original conversation that had led to the now familiar saying.

"Okay you two, stop bickering long enough to order or you're going to get whatever Al feels like cooking tonight." Donna, the evening waitress, said as she pulled out her order pad. "Parker, pancakes?" She offered.

"Yes please." Parker said, satisfied that she remembered his favorite.

"And a side of fruit." Brennan added with a knowing glint in her eye. Parker smiled even wider at her insistence that he eat something healthy. Maybe things hadn't evolved as much as he thought.


	5. The Track Record of Trust

**A/N: Lots to say today! First of all, many people picked up on the fact that Eric knows so much and Hannah knows so little about the past. The "What's between us is ours" conversation that you all were curious about appears here. This chapter is pretty Booth-heavy but the next one will be Brennan-heavy. Also: I just joined Twitter! RositaLG. Add me and we can talk about Bones just in time for the new episode that comes out this week!**

**This is dedicated to ****BB4ever for making me laugh out loud with her amazing reviews.**

**OOOOO**

Booth watched as Brennan hung on Eric's arm at the bar, laughing and smiling at a story he was telling. He had been watching the couple interact regularly now for a few weeks and he still couldn't figure it out. What did this man have that he didn't? Why did she choose him? Booth had been the one that had stood out on those steps and given her his whole heart, everything that he had, and she had turned it down. He had Hannah now, and he was happy, but it was the principle of the matter. Why couldn't she trust him, her partner of six years, when she clearly trusted this man she barely knew? After all, Eric could never know her like he knew her. Eric had never taken bullets for her. He didn't know how broken she could look when she talked about her past. Those were things that only they shared.

Weren't they?

The thought struck him like lightning. Sure, there were things that only they shared, like that Brainy Smurf that sat on her dresser or jamming out to Hot Blooded in the SUV, but maybe all of those times she opened up to him and let him in, those moments when Booth thought that he was the only one that she really trusted, maybe they weren't unique to him at all. He already knew that the pair had their own eating spot. How was that any different from the Diner or Wong Fu's?

"What are you thinking about so intently?" Cam's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about our case." He said as he picked up his beer bottle and took a swig.

"The case you just solved and put to rest?" She asked cheekily, knowing that it wasn't the truth. He hated in that moment that she knew him so well. She stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "She's happy, that's all that you need to know." He took another long pull of his beer. That's what's so confusing, he thought to himself.

OOOOO

"Can I ask you something?" Angela asked as they stood at the bar together. She was waiting for the next round of drinks and he was paying their tab.

"Sure." Eric said as he pulled out his wallet.

"Why doesn't Brennan's relationship with Booth bother you? I have seen a lot of men try to compete and they've all fallen short."

"You're referring to Sully?" He said as he handed the bartender his credit card.

"Among others, yeah." Angela smiled and nodded.

"Sure, they have a past but now that's exactly what it is: a past. Back then, he was a serious contender for her future. Now, they are both consciously making an effort to move on."

"So because Booth's with Hannah, you're not worried."

"That, plus I know something that he doesn't." He said as he handed the receipt to the bartender. "Thanks." He told him. Angela raised her eyebrow at the cocky statement.

"Oh really? And what would that be?" She asked.

"That Brennan isn't the type of woman that you can gamble on." He said with a shrug. "She deserves someone who is willing to fight for her, because she's worth the effort. If Booth wasn't smart enough to realize that then I'm not complaining." Eric said with a smile.

"You've definitely got a battle ahead of you." She forewarned, knowing her friend well.

"I'm a neurosurgeon. I enjoy a challenge." He said. "It's more fun that way." He added before walking away.

"What was that all about?" Brennan asked as he met her back at the table.

"Angela was just asking why I wasn't intimidated by Booth's presence in your life." Eric said with a smile.

"And what was your answer?" She asked as she put on her coat.

"Because he clearly doesn't recognize a good thing when he sees it." Eric said, a cocky smile on his face.

"And you do?" She asked as he held the door open for her.

"Not only do I recognize it, I fight to keep it." He said as he threw his arm around her shoulder. Brennan suddenly felt affronted by his attitude. He barely knew Booth; and besides, he was still her partner and she still cared for him deeply, whether or not they were together.

"That's quite possibly the most possessive thing I have ever heard anyone say." She said, shrugging him off. "I'm not an object to be kept."

"Feeling like a fight today, are we?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He could tell the difference between her being upset and her wanting to pick a fight. She stopped, realizing she had snapped at him.

"I'm sorry, it's just, I haven't been sleeping well and the case..." She said, not bothering to go on.

"Is now over." He told her. "Come on, I'll take you home, cook you dinner, maybe even slip a sleeping pill into your meal." He offered. "What do you say?" She nodded, despite the fact that she really wanted to be alone right now.

"That sounds great." She said, forcing herself to sound apologetic. They were halfway to the car when his pager went off. He groaned as he looked down at it.

"I'm sorry. 911. I've got to go." He said. Brennan hated the fact that she felt relieved at the sound.

"It's okay. I'll take a cab." She said. "Go save some lives."

"I'll try." He said. "Try and get some sleep?" She nodded before he kissed her. She waited until he drove off before hailing a cab. She wasn't going home. She knew exactly what would make her feel better and it was some time in her very own sanctuary.

OOOOO

"Dr. Brennan, back again so soon?" Micah said with a smile. "You've got to be careful. I'm starting to think that maybe you just miss me."

"I do miss you Micah." She said with a smile. "But I'm just here to finish up a case in bone storage and then I'm gone." She said, knowing full well that it could possibly be a lie.

"Just one case?" He asked. "I've never seen you work on just one case." She smiled, knowing she had been caught. "What are we trying to escape tonight?" He asked as he pulled up a stool next to her.

"Honestly? Myself." She said. "I just need some time to clear my head. You know, relax."

"You have the strangest way of relaxing I have ever seen." He said. "A little advice? Next time, try yoga." He said as he stood up and headed off to finish his rounds. She smiled and began pulling out the nearest box of remains.

OOOOO

Booth couldn't help but stare at Brennan as he drove them to the Hoover. He was debating asking his question while she was in a moving vehicle and couldn't escape from him when she finally broke the silence.

"What?" She asked, tired of getting the stare down from her partner.

"How much does Eric know?" He asked, unable to restrain the question any longer. "About you and me, I mean."

"All of it." She said, causing Booth to swerve slightly in the road.

"What do you mean all of it?" He asked.

"The personal things about you, I've kept to myself because I know you hate it when I talk about you to others, but I felt that it was important that he had a general timeline of events."

"What kind of timeline? What did you tell him?" He wanted, needed, to know.

"You know, about our first case, the line that you drew in the proverbial sand when Cam got poisoned, your shooting, my dad's case, your brain tumor, Sweets' book, Maluku, the Eames case…"

"Okay, I get it. He knows all of it." Booth said, taking this all in.

"What does Hannah know?" The flit of panic that covered his features was brief at best and he hoped that she had missed it. He glanced over at her. Nope. She had definitely seen it.

"You haven't told her?" She said, surprised. He didn't answer. "Any of it?" Her wide eyes spoke her opinion on the subject for her.

"There's nothing to tell." Booth said. "It's just… personal, you know?" His tone let her know that he firmly believed she had broken a sacred trust between them.

"You're mad." She said with a sigh.

"I'm not mad, I'm just…" He couldn't think straight. "Look, it's your relationship; you can do with it what you want." He decided. "You've always been about honesty. I get that, I do but I still believe that what's between us is ours and that's why I haven't told Hannah."

"I understand that." She said. "But don't you think that not telling her is tantamount to lying to her?"

"No, of course not." He said. "What happened between you and me, or rather, what didn't happen between you and me is not relevant to how I feel about her. Besides, it would just give her cause to mistrust us when obviously, there's no reason for that." He defended. "Not everyone can compartmentalize like you can, Bones." The statement came out a little harsher than he had intended and she felt it, but she had gotten used to being hurt by him lately and she shrugged it off.

"Fine." She said, accepting his answer as it was.

"Great." He said, hoping that was the end of the conversation.

OOOOO

Booth played with the Slinky he had stolen from Sweets' box of toys and sighed. They had been sitting here for ten minutes and the kid had yet to ask him a question. He had no problem sitting in silence, but he had a feeling that Sweets was analyzing his body language or some other ridiculous notion.

"Okay, I'm just going to go out on a limb here and ask. How has Dr. Brennan's new relationship affected your partnership?"

"It hasn't."

"You don't talk about it at all?" He shrugged.

"Not really. She seems happy." Booth said.

"Interesting." Sweets said, hearing the vocabulary choice. "You don't know for sure?" He asked.

"I just told you that we don't really talk about it." He said. Sweets didn't respond. "Why are you asking?"

"You know Dr. Brennan better than anyone. Your opinion is important."

"Well, I don't have one, but since you clearly do, why don't you share yours with me?" Booth suggested.

"Okay, I personally believe that this is the healthiest relationship that Dr. Brennan has ever participated in." He said, consciously pushing a button to see what would happen. Booth looked up from his Slinky, annoyed.

"Why would you tell me that?" He asked, suddenly changing his mind on wanting to know what Sweets thought.

"You asked for my opinion." Sweets said. "Why does it bother you?"

"I'm her partner, okay?" Booth said, defending his position in her life. "I don't want to hear that she can trust some guy off the street more than she can trust me!" He said, letting his filter down for just long enough for Sweets to read his thoughts. "I mean, I was the one with the track record. I saved her life, I took care of her when she needed someone to look after her, right?" He asked. Truthfully, her words from earlier had stayed with him, ate away at him. She had told Eric everything about her past, plus, he knew things about her, one piece of her in particular coming to mind, that Booth would never know. Eric was definitely winning.

"You believe that she trusts him more than you?" Sweets asked. Booth sighed.

"Not to sound like a sore loser, because I am very happy with Hannah, but I just, I will never understand why I wasn't enough for her." Booth said seriously.

"She never said that you weren't." Sweets reminded him. "In fact, it was quite the opposite. Dr. Brennan has often referred to the fact that you are the best thing that ever happened to her. You got her out of the lab, taught her new things, and forced her to face the world that she had been abandoned by. But when you asked her for more, she turned you down because she felt that there was too much to lose and she believed that she wasn't enough for you, remember?" Booth sighed.

"But she was." He said simply.

"In her attempt to save your relationship from falling apart, she ended up destroying it."

"I wouldn't go that far…" Booth said, trying to make their situation sound a little better to his own ears. "I mean, we still work together." Sweets gave him a stare that told him he was delusional and Booth knew that he was right.

"Look, you can't break something that's already broken." He said simply. "While in Maluku, Brennan realized that what she had done was a mistake, and that she had nothing left to lose with you when she returned. It is my belief that you were supposed to be the man that she finally let in. She came back with hopes of apologizing and starting over and instead, you came back with Hannah. The knowledge that she was too late triggered the strong reaction that she had to the Eames case. The impact and gravity of her choice weighed her down and she got lost for a moment. But now, she has reclaimed that initial belief that there is nothing left to lose. Dr. Brennan is able to give herself fully to Eric because she believes that she will never feel a sense of loss greater than the one she felt for you so she has no fear of getting hurt by him." Booth stared at Sweets, trying to soak all of that information in.

"So you're basically saying that Bones wanted a do-over and if I hadn't come home with Hannah, it could have been me that she was so happy with right now?"

"She told you that she regretted her decision, didn't she? She made an effort to try again?" Sweets said.

"Yeah, but I was, am," he corrected himself "with Hannah." Sweets didn't say anything, letting the agent prove his own point. Booth rubbed his fingers in his eyes, trying to stop the pain behind them from all of this sudden awareness. "God, no wonder Bones hates psychology."

OOOOO

Booth walked out of Sweets' office and headed immediately for the sanctity of his own. He needed some time to think on his own before heading back out into humanity. He was just about to his door when he heard his voice from behind him.

"Agent Booth?"

"Yeah?" He asked, not really wanting to stop and talk. He turned around and saw Eric. "Dr. Stiles, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He said, not bothering to hide his annoyance in his voice at seeing him at that particular moment.

"I hate to bother you at work, but I don't know how else to ask you this without Bren finding out." He paused. "She's been having nightmares, which isn't unusual for someone in her position I know, but they seem to be getting worse." Booth suddenly gave him his full attention. "You wouldn't happen to know what's behind them, would you?" He asked.

"No." He said, racking his brain for an explanation. "How long has it been going on?" He asked.

"A few weeks. She claims that she's fine, but will you just, keep an eye on her?" He asked. "I've used up all of my questions and now I've been relegated to being overprotective."

"I'll see what I can find out, but once those walls go up..." Booth said.

"I know." Eric said. Booth was really starting to get an irrational hatred of those two words coming out of Eric's mouth.

"Look, Bones is…complicated, but she always lets people in eventually. If she starts making plans to go on a dig in a foreign country, then you can panic." Eric chuckled.

"I already made her promise that she wouldn't leave the country without giving me a two day warning first." He informed Booth with a smile. "Thanks Booth."

"You're welcome." He said with a nod.

"Oh, and thanks for not giving me the speech." He added.

"What speech?" Booth asked.

"You know, the same speech that everyone else has decided I need to hear about breaking her heart and how they could kill me and use science to make sure that no one ever finds my remains." He chuckled. "You're the only one in the group who hasn't threatened to kill me on her behalf and I appreciate it." He said. Booth stared him down intensely.

"I'm her partner. The speech goes without saying." He said, the simmering rage from his recent conversation with Sweets just brimming the surface. "I've killed for her, I've died for her. I've done things to people that she will never find out about just to keep her safe." He whispered darkly. "And if you do crush her heart, the squints won't have to worry about breaking out their little science experiments, because you'll be missing long before they even know what you've done. Do we have an understanding, _Doc_?" Booth asked. Eric just looked at him.

"Just one more thing." He said before he leaned in closer to whisper in Booth's ear. "Out of the two of us, I'm the one with the clean slate, so the next time you want to give a speech about breaking her heart? Make sure you're looking in the mirror." He said before walking away.


	6. The Tension in the Familiar

**Confession: This story is taking the strangest turns. I planned on making it fun-loving and vengeful, but that's just not what has happened. I guess the current tone of the show sort of snuck into this. Anyway the story has demanded that it write itself from here on out. I've got the basic outline for the rest of the story done, so if the muses cooperate (which they never seem to do) the story should be pretty quickly wrapped up from here on out.**

**OOOOO**

"How's it coming?" Booth asked as he sat down next to Angela's computer.

"No ID yet, but I just started." She said. From his silence, she could tell that there was more that Booth wanted to talk about. "And the real reason you are sitting at my desk?" She asked.

"Has Bones mentioned anything about her having nightmares?" He asked hesitantly, as if it wasn't his place to be prying. The quiet nature of his question was so uncharacteristic on his part, Angela leaned back in her chair to examine his face.

"She's been having nightmares?" She asked.

"Yeah, do you know why? Normally, she would confess to something like that, but we haven't really…" He didn't need to explain. "Maybe something with a case?" He suggested, diverting the subject away from him. Angela thought about it for a minute before realizing what would be bothering her friend.

"Oh God." She realized. "I should have seen that a mile away." She said as she shook her head. "Pregnancy." She cursed herself. Booth waited patiently for her to continue. "The Sarah Thomas case." She said. "She was held in that basement for three days, in the dark, a bag over her head, being tortured."

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with Bones?"

"El Salvador." She said. Booth shrugged, not knowing what she was talking about. "2004?" She suggested, hoping to stir his memory. He was clearly lost so she just decided to continue with the story. "Bren was alone, working on a gravesite and she was kidnapped by a group of Salvadorian soldiers who wanted to stop her from uncovering the truth about the death squads there. She was locked in a prison with a bag over her head and tortured for three days."

"She never told me that." He said, upset with her for hiding something like that.

"Why do you think that she learned all of those martial arts? She never wanted to feel that way again. Of course, she ended up partnering with you so she had to get used to being kidnapped." Angela said resentfully. "I was so worried about you during this case that it never dawned on me that she would be the one who was affected."

"Any chance that she would talk to me about it?" Booth asked, knowing the answer was probably no.

"You should try." Angela said. "She still trusts you more than anyone else." Booth's heart leapt up into his throat at her statement. He had been worried sick that she didn't trust him enough and now, here was evidence that she still trusted him.

"I'll go see what I can find out." He said.

OOOOO

Booth knocked on the doorframe of his partner's office, not wanting to disturb her from her work.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" He asked. She nodded and he shut the door.

"What's up?" She asked, giving him her full attention.

"Eric came to me asking if I knew why you were having nightmares." Booth started. She instinctively folded her arms over her chest, not wanting to talk about it. "I said I didn't know, but Angela just filled me in on what happened in El Salvador and now things are starting to make a lot more sense." He said.

"Have you been discussing me with everyone?" She asked.

"No, but I know what nightmares can do to a person if you don't deal with them." He said as he sat down on the corner of her desk.

"Now you sound like Sweets." She said with a frown.

"Yeah, but I'm not. So do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No." She said. "I'm fine Booth, really." She said a little too confidently to him. "It was a long time ago."

"Bones, you were kidnapped in a foreign country, surrounded by the skeletons of victims who had been in that exact same position you were in. Time has nothing to do with it." He said, clearly not buying that excuse. "How long were you held?" He asked.

"A few days, but I thought it was a week." She admitted reluctantly. He nodded in understanding, remembering his own time being held captive. "Did they…" He paused, unsure how to phrase what he was about to ask. "Did they hurt you at all?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Mostly just verbal threats, fear." She said. "A few punches or kicks here and there to make sure that I took them seriously, a lack of food and water." She said. "The physical pain was fine, the words were worse." He examined her face carefully as she spoke.

"Did you get a good look at them? Maybe catch a few names?" He asked. She chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood.

"Why, are you going to fly down there with your sniper rifle?" She asked.

"I've killed for less." He said seriously. His confidence in his statement took her a bit off-guard.

"Don't you have enough criminals to deal with in your own country?" She asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Bad guys are everywhere, Bones." He said. "Even if it just seems like we attract them more than most people."

"Yes but your jurisdiction lies only in the United States." She said with a smile. "But I appreciate the offer." He nodded.

"If you're sure." He said as he stood up. "But just so you know, I have no problems, what did you call it once?" He paused theatrically as he watched her frown, her genius brain trying to follow his thinking. "Oh, yes, 'Getting Federal on their asses'." He said with a knowing smile. She smiled back and shook her head at the memory.

"It got you down there, didn't it?" She said, proud of herself for coming through for Angela in her hour of need. "And you thought I had no charm."

"I never said that." He said, his eyes widening at her accusation.

"Well then you seriously implied it." She said with a grin as she stared him down. For a moment, it was like they were themselves again, bickering their way through their familiar banter. Booth realized the close proximity to one another first and cleared his throat.

"I should, you know, head back now that Angela is working on the ID."

"Of course." She watched as he backed up to a reasonable and much safer distance. "Thanks." She added. "You know, for checking in."

"Any time." He said with a safe smile. "I'll see you later." He sighed as he walked briskly out of the lab. Brennan let out a sigh of relief once he was gone. She had been working so hard to get back to their old partnership, she had forgotten just how full of sexual tension their relationship used to be. She had to do better at keeping herself in check. She had Eric to think about now. She made a mental note to do better as she shuffled things around her desk, attempting to release the tension that came with her newfound self-awareness.

OOOOO

Booth slammed his car door shut as he sat in the parking garage for a minute, trying to cool down. It had been almost two years since he had felt that way with her and suddenly, he was right to where he had started. How could he have forgotten what that challenging look in her eyes did to him, how badly he wanted to shove everything off her desk and pin her beneath him? There had been no thoughts of significant others, or the fact that they were in her glass-walled office. There had just been her, staring at him, their hearts beating wildly as they participated in a showdown of wills….and it was fucking hot. He groaned at himself as he hit the steering wheel once in frustration. This was not the way it was supposed to happen this time.

OOOOO

Booth walked through the door to his apartment and immediately crawled up next to Hannah on the couch.

"Hi." She said as he laid his head in her lap like a small child. "Your day went that well, huh?" Hannah asked as he sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it." He said. Hannah waited a few beats, knowing him well enough to realize that he was about to explode with information. "Let's just say I had a rough day and to top it all off, I had to give Eric the talk."

"The talk?" Hannah said, raising her eyebrow.

"You know, the 'I'm a trained sniper and if you hurt my partner I'll use that training on you' talk."

"Ah, yes. I'm familiar." She said with a smile. "I'm surprised it took you this long. Temperance gave me hers the first moment she got me alone." Booth stared up at his girlfriend before sitting up to face her.

"Bones gave you a talk?" Booth said, impressed by his partner's concern for his well-being.

"Of course." She smiled. "She's your partner too."

"What did she say?" He asked with a curious but insecure expression on his face.

"She said that you love with one hundred percent of your heart and that if I wasn't certain that I could give you one hundred percent of mine, I should cut and run before you got hurt." Booth wasn't sure which part of the warning bothered him most: the fact that Brennan was telling Hannah to follow her lead or the fact that he was known for loving with one hundred percent of his heart. As much as he adored Hannah, he knew that he wasn't giving her one hundred percent right now.

"And what did you say?" He asked, wondering how she would react to such a statement.

"I told her that I already knew that about you and that I traveled halfway around the world so that I could prove it to you." She kissed him sweetly and Booth felt his head fog over. This is why he loved her. Hannah had the ability to make him forget everything else in the world except her, even in a war zone, and tonight, Booth needed to forget.

**A/N: That's right boys and girls, Booth and Brennan are starting to figure it out. Next chapter, everyone else realizes that something is amiss.**


	7. Gambling

**A/N: Lucky Chapter Seven is entitled 'Gambling' and is also 7 pages long. Talk about coincidence! I've had this next section written for a long time (even before the show took these similar turns) but I couldn't quite seem to be satisfied with it. I rewrote this thing more than I've ever rewritten anything. Please let me know if you see any mistakes. I've stared at it so long, I can't see them anymore. In the end, I've stretched out my original outline and added some filler, so please be patient, but know that the bulk of the drama awaits. As always, I want to hear your opinions, good or bad! Also, thanks to everyone who has been checking in and making sure that I update this regularly. Without your poking and prodding, I wouldn't be nearly as consistent as I am. It means a lot that you care enough to demand more and I hope that this doesn't disappoint. Happy reading!**

OOOOO

"You have news." Hannah said as she sat down across from a beaming Brennan. She nodded as the waitress brought over a cup of coffee for her.

"Sweets and Daisy eloped." Brennan said scandalously.

"No!" Hannah said, shocked. "Really?"

"Yes. They called this morning from Las Vegas."

"I can't believe that." She said.

"Neither could we."

"Wow." She said, processing the idea. "You know, I've always thought that if I ever got married, it would be more of a drunken elopement in Vegas. Most likely something that I would wake up regretting the next morning." Hannah said with a sly smile.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about eloping in Vegas with Booth." Brennan said.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked as she set down her coffee.

"Well, I know that Booth has an unusually high level of discipline and that he keeps himself out of trouble, but in Vegas, you can practically see the gambler appear the moment you step off that plane." Hannah stared at Brennan, not knowing what she was referring to. "He gets this sort of shaky, restless look about him and you really have to keep an eye on him." Finally starting to get the picture, Hannah frowned. "Although, after all of his issues, he is extremely well connected there. He knows everyone. In fact, if you ask, you might be able to convince him to forego the large Catholic wedding he's always wanted. He does know an extremely friendly judge who I'm sure would be willing to perform the ceremony." She said, as if it were actually a viable option.

"Hey!" Booth said as he came up to the table. "What are we talking about?" He asked.

"We were discussing Daisy and Sweet's elopement." Hannah said quickly, hoping Brennan wouldn't blow her cover.

"What?" Booth said, shocked.

"It's true." Brennan said with a smile. "Our baby duck has flown the nest." She smiled.

"I wouldn't go that far just yet." Booth said, knowing Sweets' penchant for asking him for grown-up advice. "What is it about you squints and eloping?" Booth said. "For once, could one of you have a real ceremony?" He requested.

"I think Hodgins and Angela's first attempt ruined it for everyone." Brennan said with a smile. "They were interrupted by the State department." She explained to Hannah. "Besides, there's no one left in the lab besides Wendell and Cam." Brennan said.

"What about you, Temperance? Haven't you ever thought about getting married?" Hannah said with a nudge towards her.

"Oh no, you don't want to get into this conversation with her. Bones doesn't believe in marriage." Booth said, in total confidence.

"I get that. I'm not too keen on the idea myself." Hannah agreed. Brennan looked up in shock at Hannah's words and immediately glanced over at Booth to gage his reaction to her statement before returning her attention to Hannah.

"The traditional aspects of marriage make no sense." She said. "But I understand the desire to spend the rest of your life with someone." She said, causing Booth to look up in surprise.

"And Eric understands?" Hannah asked.

"He believes that you should take love one day at a time. If you happen to look up in fifty years and you're still together, then it must have been meant to be. If you wake up one morning and don't want to try anymore, then you can both walk away knowing that you had something great once." Booth was staring at her so intently she could feel his eyes burn her skin.

"That's amazing." Hannah said. "You're a lucky woman, Temperance."

"Yes. I am." She grinned, the smile on her face made Booth's stomach turn over. Angela hurried through the front door and sat down next to Brennan.

"Oh my God. I just heard. Sweets and Daisy?" She grinned. "We should totally throw them a reception party."

"And that's our cue to leave." Booth stood up.

"Why? You just got here." Hannah pointed out.

"Angela plus party planning equals errands and I don't want to be here when she starts doling out tasks." He said.

"Well, I love to plan parties. Let me know how I can help." Hannah said before taking off with Booth.

"Great!" She turned back to Brennan. "So my first thought was karaoke but I need your permission first." Angela said as she winced.

"Why do you look like that?" Brennan asked. "And why would you need my permission to plan a party?"

"Well, the last time we all went out singing, it didn't end so well." Angela said.

"It's okay with me." Brennan said.

"Are you sure?" She asked again.

"Yes. I happen to know that Sweets enjoys karaoke very much." She smiled. "I think it sounds like a great idea."

"Good." Angela smiled as she examined Brennan's face. "Why do you have that look on your face?"

"What look?" Brennan asked.

"That look." She said as she pointed to her friend's face. "You want advice, but aren't sure how much to tell." She said. "What's between us is ours." She said, knowing both the phrase and the look well.

"Hannah and I were talking and she didn't know about Booth's gambling problem." Brennan said, unsettled. "That should be something that he shares with her, right?" She asked. Angela leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"I would hope so."

"And she said that she wasn't certain that she believed in marriage." Brennan added. "That's all Booth has ever wanted. It's one of the reasons I turned him down. I couldn't give him that, and now…"

"You don't think Hannah can give him that either." Angela finished her sentence for her. Brennan nodded. "Poor Booth."

"I can't bring up the subject with either of them because I'm too close to the situation."

"No. Absolutely not." Angela agreed. "He's just going to have to figure it out himself. Who knows, maybe she'll change her mind after a while."

"I just don't want him to get hurt again." Brennan sighed.

"I know." Angela leaned over and held her hand. "You're a good friend, Brennan. He knows that."

OOOOO

Eric smiled as Brennan came walking out of her office just as he was walking in.

"Hi." She said with a smile and a kiss. "How was your day?" She asked.

"Better now." He said with a sigh. "How about you?"

"I found out that Sweets and Daisy got married in Vegas this weekend."

"Really? An elopement, huh?" She nodded.

"Angela is throwing them a party on Friday night if you would like to come as my date." She smiled.

"I think I could manage to pencil you in." He said. "Informal, formal, what's the plan?"

"Informal." She said as she got into his car. "It's going to be a karaoke party." Eric paused with his hand on the key in the ignition, but didn't start the car. He turned to look at her like she was crazy instead.

"Karaoke?" He raised his eyebrow. "Is that a good idea?" He had to ask.

"Admittedly, the last time didn't go so well, but the probability of something like that happening again is very small." She said, getting clinical to cover her own insecurities.

"Good point." He said as he finally started the car.

"Plus, to be on the safe side, Angela's getting a private room this time." She said.

"Glad to hear it." He said with a smile.

OOOOO

Hannah sat down next to Booth on the couch, fully prepared to watch whatever sports were on the television, but Brennan's words from earlier in the day were nagging at her.

"Hey, I have a question." She said.

"You say that, but you're a reporter. I know that you have more than one." He teased as he looked down at her.

"Brennan and I were talking today about Sweets and Daisy and she sort of, insinuated that you and Vegas didn't get along so well." She said, not wanting to offend him. He glanced down and turned off the TV with a sigh.

"You could say that." He said.

"Care to elaborate?" She asked.

"When I got out of the army, I went straight to Vegas. I had 35 bucks in my pocket and walked out the next morning with ten grand." He smiled. "By the next day I had lost it all. When I got to DC, it had settled down, but I didn't really get myself cleaned up until I started working with Bones." He said.

"So you're reformed now?" Hannah asked.

"Absolutely." He said. She took in his information. "Look, it's something that happened a long time ago. I wasn't completely drowning in it, like that first night in Vegas, but it was bad enough that it affected my focus on other things. I thought that I had it under control. Cam knew better. She was the New York coroner at the time but she was in D.C. handing over a cold case that was now under our jurisdiction. It was her idea that I partner up with Bones, did you know that?" He asked. Hannah shook her head. "After ten minutes in D.C., she could tell that I was still a mess and she kept poking at me until I realized that I needed to get some help. After I finished that first case with Bones, I started going to meetings. Now, I don't need to anymore."

"What else don't I know?" Hannah asked as she looked up at him. Booth glanced down at her, his stomach turning.

"Hannah…"

"Don't get me wrong. I love that you are surrounded by people who love you and know you so well, but I can't help feeling left out in the cold sometimes. I don't want to be the only woman in your life that doesn't know what's going on."

"Those things take time to learn. I know that I'm a private person and that I don't exactly open up. I've known Cam for twenty years. I've spent every single waking moment with Bones for the past six years and even then, the only reason that they know about it is because they were there when I was going through it. Otherwise, it's not something that I advertise. I don't want you to see all those scars just yet." He said quietly.

"I want you to trust me." She said.

"I do, but it's going to take me a while to let you see those parts of me. I keep them hidden for a reason. My past, it's real ugly, Hannah." He admitted quietly.

"Nothing you say is going to make me think less of you." She told him.

"You promise?" He asked. She nodded as she kissed him.

"I promise."

OOOOO

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and Brennan and Eric were spending their morning hiking through the woods. Brennan had to admit that she was proud of herself for getting away from work, which she normally would never do this close to a book deadline. Eric was leading up a hill when she heard a rustling coming from the bushes beside her. Stopping to investigate, she peered into the foliage.

"Eric, look!" Brennan said as she took off into the trees. Eric paused long enough to turn around and see his girlfriend taking off into the thick woods.

"Where are you…?" He sighed in frustration as he took off after her. Finally catching up to her, he began to scold. "Bren, you can't just take off to chase strange noises in the woods alone."

"It's just a dog. Look, he's hurt." She said as she reached out to examine the cut on the injured dog's leg.

"Stop." He commanded as he reached out to pull her arm back. "You don't know where that thing has been." She turned to face him. "He could be sick."

"He's not."

"Are you a vet?" He asked.

"No, but I touch decaying bodies on a daily basis." She reminded him.

"Yeah, with gloves." He reminded her in turn. "Come on."

"But he's kind. Look in his eyes, you'll see. Plus, he needs our help." She told him. Eric was unused to seeing Brennan beg for anything; in fact, he was fairly certain this had never happened before, but she was very good at it.

"Fine, we can put him in the back of the car." He said reluctantly. "We'll take him to a shelter and they can deal with him."

"Thank you." She said as she picked up the dog slowly.

OOOOO

After the thirty minute ride to the nearest shelter, Brennan had made up her mind.

"I want to adopt him." She decided.

"Bren, we've been here ten minutes." Eric pointed out. "He might actually have an owner somewhere."

"An owner that let him run free, without tags or a leash, in the woods." She said, not buying it. Eric rolled his eyes. "I've always wanted a dog. I'm finally going to do it."

"A German Shepherd? You do realize that you only have a two bedroom apartment."

"I know that it's irrational to have a strong attachment to an animal that I just met, but he's the one." She said. "I know it." As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished that she had chosen differently. The last time those words had been uttered in her presence, things had ended much differently. Eric sighed.

"I'm not going to change your mind here, am I?"

"No." She said. "But you were quite brave in trying." She smiled at him. The vet tech brought the dog back out on a leash and handed him to Brennan.

"What are you going to name him?" The vet tech asked. Still feeling the twinge from her earlier comments, she thought a second.

"Edmond." She said as she pet the dog's ears.

"Why Edmond?"

"After Edmond Locard." She said simply. "He formed the first basic rule of forensics."

"Which is?" The vet tech asked, not really caring to know.

"Every contact leaves a trace." She said quietly as she rubbed the dog's ears.

OOOOO

"Edmond?" Angela asked. "Aren't you supposed to name a dog something normal like Fido?" Angela teased. Booth took some satisfaction in knowing that he wasn't the only sane person in the room when it came to naming a dog.

"He's named for a scientist." Brennan defended.

"Wait, you named your dog after a dead squint." Booth clarified.

"Which dead squint?" Cam asked as she entered the room.

"Edmond Locard." Brennan explained.

"You named your dog after Edmond Locard?" Cam said, knowing exactly why she had chosen the name. She glanced over at Brennan knowingly and Booth saw the stare between the two women. He made a mental note to talk to Cam about it once he got her alone. "I think it's a perfect name." She said as she placed her hand on Brennan's arm.

"Thank you." Brennan smiled, triumphantly. "See, Cam gets it. Now everyone out, I've got a chapter to finish." She said, kicking everyone out of her office so she could continue with her work.

"Cam." Booth chased her down. "What was the deal with the dog's name back there?" Booth asked as he followed her back to her office.

"Edmond Locard's first rule of forensics is 'Every contact leaves a trace'." She informed him. Booth furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Come on Seeley, even you have to acknowledge that she named her dog Edmond because of you."

"Because of me?" Booth said.

"Yes, you were the contact that left the trace on her life." She said. "You taught her that people can touch us and leave a permanent mark. She might have learned the rule in a textbook, but you taught her how to apply it to the real world outside of the lab." Cam said. "It's her way of saying that she acknowledges the lessons that you taught her." Booth didn't know what to say. He stood there, processing what Cam had told him.

"Hey Booth!" Angela called from her office, disrupting the moment. "Do you have a minute?" She asked. Booth wanted to get out of Cam's office so he nodded his goodbye and headed next door to Angela's.

"You bellowed?" He asked, secretly grateful for the distraction.

"Sweets and Daisy's reception is going to be on Friday. We're doing karaoke." She said. "If you don't want to be there, I totally understand, but…"

"No, no. It's fine." He assured her, before he knew whether or not it actually was. "Is everyone up for that?" He asked.

"I cleared it with Brennan. Everyone agreed that if it was okay with her, it was okay with them."

"Oh, okay then." He said. "I guess I'll see you on Friday then." He said with a smile.

"Booth?" Angela stopped him from leaving again. "If you ever want to talk about anything, you know that I'm here for you, right?" She asked. "I know that I'm Brennan's best friend and that it's my job to take care of her, but I'm here for you too." She said. Booth looked at her quizzically.

"Thanks." He said. "But why are you telling me this now?" He asked.

"They got a dog." She said. "Together." She added. "This is a huge step for her, bigger than moving in with someone. She's committed to raising another being with someone." She pointed out. "I just want you to know that as happy as I am that she's happy, I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of her finally starting the life that she was supposed to have with you with someone else. The wrong someone else." She added.

"Ang…" He started but she held up her hand.

"You don't have to say anything. I just…I wanted you to know that given the choice between the two of you, I'm always going to pick you." She let him know. Booth sighed as he left Angela's office. She was right. Eric and Brennan's relationship was progressing more quickly than anyone had imagined it would and getting a dog together signified a level of commitment that she had never given anyone before, including him.


	8. Karaoke Nights

**A/N: Okay lovelies, this is where it starts to get interesting! I hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I did writing it! Also, I think this is the fastest turn-around of any updating I've ever done. I owe it to you guys after that last chapter. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I feel it goes without saying, but I do not own any of the rights to the following songs, bands or characters. Please don't sue me. **

OOOOO

"Hey, before we go in there, I have to do the protective girlfriend thing and ask if you are really okay with this." Hannah said.

"I'm fine." Booth promised. "I don't really remember anything past being shot. It was much more traumatic for the people who thought I was dead." He assured her. "They're the ones I'm worried about." Hannah knew that he meant Brennan.

"Okay, but if you want to leave…" She said.

"I'll let you know." He gave her a quick kiss before they made their way back into the private room that was already filled with laughing and hugging scientists. Sweets and Daisy were smiling from ear to ear and were clearly already in their honeymoon phase. Angela had bought a cake and it was sitting in the corner of the room, waiting to be sliced open.

"Congratulations kid." Booth said as he shook the psychiatrist's hand.

"Thanks Booth." He said.

"Come on you two, time to get the party started." Angela said with a smile as she nudged Daisy towards the stage.

"Ooh! Is it 'Lime in Da Coconut'?" Hannah asked with a smile.

"Oh, my reputation precedes me." Sweets smiled at Booth. "But no, Daisy made the first selection. It's 'Faithfully' by Journey. Ever since she returned from Maluku, it's sort of our song." He said with a sloppy grin as he walked away. The whole thing was sickeningly sweet, but everyone couldn't help but be happy at the couple's happiness. Next up was Hodgins and Angela who sang "I've got you Babe". Towards the end of their duet, Brennan leaned over and asked Eric a question.

"Want to sing a song with me?"

"Yeah, if you're up to it." He said. "What song did you have in mind?"

"We'll let Angela choose." She said. She stood up and walked over to talk to Angela. "I need a duet." She requested.

"I got you covered." Angela smiled. Eric took one last sip of his beer and headed for the stage.

"What are we singing?" He asked.

"'Don't go breaking my heart'" Angela whispered in his ear.

"Let's go Doc!" The interns cheered.

"Let loose, Dr. B." Hodgins said with a wink as he handed her his microphone. The music started and Booth suddenly felt flushed as he remembered how excited he had been the last time he had seen her sing. It was a rare sight to see her let loose, but when she did, she did it one hundred percent, just like she did everything.

"Okay, don't judge me, but I really love this song!" Hannah admitted with a smile, but Booth's attention was on the stage. He couldn't help but notice that their body language was close, but not nearly as close as their recent move forward would appear. As the duet ended, everyone clapped.

"Cam, you're up." Angela said.

"No."

"The way to the woman's heart is through Bruce Springsteen." Booth shouted. Angela knew what to do. She selected the song "Glory Days" and as the music started to play, Booth smiled over at Cam.

"You're going to pass up singing one of your favorite songs?" He smirked.

"Yes." Cam said, shaking her head.

"No!" Hannah frowned. "Do it Cam!"

"Camille!"

"Seeley, I mean it." Booth ran up on stage and grabbed the microphone.

"_I had a friend, was a big baseball player, back in high school_." He started serenading Cam with a naughty smirk on his face.

"He's going to massacre this on purpose, isn't he?" She said as she turned to Angela.

"If you don't join him? Yeah." She nodded. Cam sighed and walked up on stage. Everyone cheered victoriously as she started to sing with Booth.

OOOOO

As Wendell and Angela belted out 'Twist and Shout' on stage, Booth couldn't help but glance over at Brennan's happy face. The sight of her truly enjoying herself made his heart overflow momentarily. He reached out and poked her gently to get her undivided attention.

"You're having fun." He said in a whisper.

"Yes, I am." She replied with a small smile. And for a minute, it was as if everything were just as it once was. She, leaning conspiratorially against him as they passed secrets meant only for them, and he smirking as he came up with a terrible but brilliant plan.

"You know, if this were a year ago, I would ask if you wanted to get up there and sing 'Hot Blooded' with me." Booth said. Brennan stopped and stared at him for a second.

"It's not really an appropriate song for us to be singing with each other anymore, given our current situation." She whispered back.

"Yeah, you're right." He said as he leaned back in his chair, letting it go.

"On the other hand, it _is_ our song." She relented with a small grin. Booth leaned back in again, a smile on his face. "Do you think Hannah would mind?"

"Nah, she understands. What about Eric?"

"Not at all." He smiled at her.

"Wait. Are we really going to do this?" He asked her as she stood up.

"I am. Are you going to join me?" She asked as she took a shot of the tequila in front of her, the taste of their first kiss seeping into the memory center of her brain.

"Yes ma'am." He said, taking a shot himself and walking up to the stage. She dialed it in and as soon as the music started playing the older members of the team went nuts. They all knew what was about to happen. The interns, Hannah, and Eric all glanced around the room in surprise at the commotion.

"Are you trying to tempt fate?" Cam shouted up to Booth. He just smiled and turned his attention to Brennan, who was already shaking in time to the music. "He's going to get himself killed again." She told the rest of the table, but the smile on her face told Hannah just how happy she was to see the man on stage with Brennan.

_Well, I'm hot blooded, check it and see  
I got a fever of a hundred and three  
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?  
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded_

Booth and Brennan sang the chorus together, air guitar and dance moves surprisingly intact after a year of being unused. After five years of singing the song together, they didn't need to see each other to know who was going to do what and when. Booth took the first verse without discussion.

_You don't have to read my mind, to know what I have in mind  
Honey you oughta know  
Now you move so fine, let me lay it on the line  
I wanna know what you're doin' after the show_

Brennan came right in after with her favorite part. It always reminded her of her confident statement in the taxi all those years ago.

_Now it's up to you, we can make a secret rendezvous  
Just me and you, I'll show you lovin' like you never knew_

That's why I'm hot blooded, check it and see  
I got a fever of a hundred and three  
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?  
I'm hot blooded, hot blooded 

Booth smiled as he came in next.

_If it feels alright, maybe you can stay all night  
Shall I leave you my key?  
But you've got to give me a sign, come on girl, some kind of sign  
_

He turned his attention to Angela momentarily to sing her the next line.

_Tell me, are you hot, mama? You sure look that way to me_

Brennan smiled at Booth as she sang out the lyrics directly to him.

_Are you old enough? Will you be ready when I call you bluff? _

Booth took the next line.

_Is my timing right? Did you save your love for me tonight?_

_Yeah I'm hot blooded, check it and see  
Feel the fever burning inside of me  
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?  
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded, I'm hot  
_

It wasn't long before both of them fell into a sort of time warp that surrounded the stage. They were back to the old 'Booth and Bones' partnership, and no one else existed. Hannah and Eric watched from afar, both mesmerized by the connection that they were both finally witness to. Eric knew that this was the way that it should be, but Hannah was caught much more off-guard by the connection. Well, the connection and the words that she was singing to him so flirtatiously.

_Now it's up to you, can we make a secret rendezvous?  
Oh, before we do, you'll have to get away from you know who_

_Well, I'm hot blooded, check it and see  
I got a fever of a hundred and three  
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?  
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded_

Hot blooded, every night  
Hot blooded, you're looking so tight  
Hot blooded, now you're driving me wild  
Hot blooded, I'm so hot for you, child  
Hot blooded, I'm a little bit high  
Hot blooded, you're a little bit shy  
Hot blooded, you're making me sing  
Hot blooded, for your sweet sweet thing

As the song ended, everyone felt the shift in the room as the couple disembarked the stage. It was as if the missing puzzle piece had finally fallen into place. Angela was nearly in tears of happiness as Hodgins wrapped an arm around her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I know that it's just hormones, but it's been over a year since things felt that…"

"Right." Hodgins finished for her. Hannah overheard the words and glanced at the duo as they high-fived. Eric glanced at Hannah, silently feeling her pain. At least he got into the relationship knowing where he stood. She looked like she had just been let in on a secret that everyone else knew.

"Yeah." She smiled at the pair. "I want to ask them right now." She said.

"Now?" Angela nodded. "What happened to letting Daisy and Sweets have their night?" Angela shook her head.

"Right now." She said.

"Okay, let's go." Hodgins said as he stood up and walked over to the partners. "Great job you two." He said with a smile.

"Thank you." Brennan said with a grin and a glance towards Booth.

"Listen, Jack and I were hoping that you two would do us the honor of being the godparents for this little guy." She said as she placed a hand on her ever-growing belly. Booth smiled.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah." Hodgins said with a smile. "I mean, you were kind of made for the job. You're already a father, you're Catholic, you've always got a gun on you." He listed off the qualities. "Being a godfather didn't seem like too much of a stretch."

"But only if you want to, don't feel obligated." Angela added.

"Are you kidding? I would be honored." He said as he gave Angela a hug.

"As would I." Brennan said with a smile. "Although, I am not religious, but the honor remains the same." She said.

"Good. We just wanted to make sure you guys were up to the challenge." She turned to her husband victoriously. "We officially have godparents for our kid." Hodgins smiled and kissed her before heading back to their table.

OOOOO

"You guys were great tonight." Eric said as Brennan sidled up next to him in the parking lot. "That's quite some family you've built for yourself."

"Thanks. I like them." She smiled. His phone rang and he glanced down at it. "Work?" She said, knowing the answer.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm starting to really hate being such a workaholic." He admitted as she leaned in slowly to kiss him. The moment was interrupted by several members of her team cat-calling as they stumbled out of the club. Brennan pulled away with a small grin at being caught.

"You're all fired." She yelled back.

"I should really get going." He said. "Do you want me to drop you off at your place or mine?" He asked, a mischievous grin appearing as he tugged her closer to him.

"Mine." She groaned. "I have a book to finish by the end of the month and a dog to take care of." She reminded him. "You're not the only workaholic in this relationship." He kissed her once more for good measure and opened the car door for her. She smiled as she settled into his passenger seat and reached for the radio out of habit, pressing number six for her favorite station.

"Oh, I don't have them preset." Eric said. "What are you looking for?" He asked. She hadn't even realized what she had been doing until he told her that.

"I was just going to browse." She covered, not wanting to let him know that it was Booth's vehicle that had her presets loaded on the right hand side of the radio.


	9. The Vexing in the Pretending

**A/N: So you can thank the upswing in my FF reading for the delay on my writing. If you're looking for some new good stories, check out ****Rankor01's "Through His Eyes", va32h's series that starts with "The Mourning after the Proposal" and is now on the third segment "The Epic Adventures of the Two Bs" (which she updates like a machine btw) and ****duathkaimelar's "Peripheral"****. They've been keeping me busy. You know, aside from taking finals and working full time. :S ****This one is for my Twitter followers. If you read Bones FF a lot, or like to discuss, or even just want to lurk and laugh at other people's tweets, you should definitely get Twitter and add me: RositaLG and all of the other lovely writers out there. It's a fun time. ;) ****Anyway****, here is the next segment of our story. Happy Reading!**

OOOOO

"Hello?" Brennan said as she walked into Eric's apartment.

"Hey, I'm glad you're here."

"You wanted to talk so here I am." She said.

"'Needed to talk' is more accurate."

"Oh God." She moaned, knowing he was about to get psychological with her.

"You don't believe in God." He said with a small smile. She gave him a stare as she plopped down next to him on the couch.

"Don't change the subject." She said, knowing exactly what he was trying to do.

"Okay." He sighed. "We've been dating for a few months now, right?" He said. She nodded and waited for him to continue. "Well, those months have been amazing. In fact, they were so amazing that I was planning on asking you to move in with me." He said. She was shocked only for a moment before confusion set in.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'was planning'?"

"I was called in last night because I was offered a position at UCLA in their neuro program there." He started. "My boss just assumed that I would take it. When I told him that I had to think about it, I think he thought I was crazy."

"You're thinking about it?" She asked. He nodded.

"I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, but I think that meeting you could be a once in a lifetime chance as well." He said. She looked down at her hands. "I think that what you and I have could be amazing." He said. "And I know that you would never move to California with me." He said. "I just… I don't want to be another man who promises you the world and then bails when things get complicated." He said as he held her hand.

"You're not that guy." She said, knowing it was true.

"But last night, as I was thinking about what I was going to say to you, the only thing I could see was you and Booth on stage singing 'Hot Blooded'." He confessed. "I don't want to be the idiot who passes on the opportunity of a lifetime for a woman who is in love with someone else." He said reluctantly. "I need to know where I stand with you, Bren. If you think that you can see this going somewhere, even if it's a long way down the road then I'm staying." He told her. "But if you can't, then I need to know."

"When would you have to decide?" She asked.

"They want me there as soon as I can get there. Within the next couple of days, I would imagine." She nodded.

"And you want me to make the decision for you." She said.

"No, I just want to know all the facts before I make a decision." He said. "It's the rational thing to do." At that moment, Brennan looked into his eyes and knew her answer. She had enough rationality in her own life.

"You should go." She said. "If this is the opportunity that you think that it is, then you would be stupid not to take it." He glanced down at his hands, figuring that would be her answer. Brennan watched his reaction, suddenly feeling guilty for starting a relationship with him in the first place.

"I'm sorry." She said, unsure of what she was apologizing for, but feeling the need to say it.

"I knew what I was getting into." He said as he looked at her. "Or at least I thought I did." He smiled. "But everyone in that room could see that you two are still in love with each other." He said. She shook her head.

"No. You're wrong. Booth loves Hannah." Eric shook his head. She didn't bother to deny her own feelings.

"He loves Hannah, but he's _in love_ with you." He said. "After all, you don't just ask someone to love you for the rest of your life and then turn around and fall in love with someone else." He repeated his words from their first meeting and she stared at him momentarily.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, this time because she knew that she was pushing another good man out of her life.

"Don't be sorry. You love him."

"You have no idea how much I wish that I didn't." She said as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I do know." He said. She stared into his eyes one last time and kissed him goodbye.

"I should go." She said. He nodded as they both stood up. She hugged him tightly.

"Take care, Bren." He whispered.

"You too." She let him go and turned around without looking back.

OOOOO

Brennan sighed as she looked in the mirror one last time as she replayed the message on her answering machine one more time.

"_Hey Bones, it's me. Listen, it's Pop's 85__th__ birthday this weekend and I was planning on taking him out for a family dinner and he said that he wasn't going to come unless you came too. We're meeting at 8 at Gordon Gordon's place on Sunday. Oh and bring your dancing shoes because you know how much Pops loves the dance floor."_

She stared into the mirror, finding the resolve to move. She would do this, despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to wallow in her own self-pity and loneliness. She would do this for Hank, who she adored and for herself, because she was not the type of girl who stayed at home and wallowed. She had been doing that since yesterday morning and she refused to be that person any longer. Twenty four hours of wallowing was plenty. She just needed a little help remembering that right now. She reached out for the St. Christopher medal on her dresser and fastened it to her wrist. She ran a finger over the cool metal as she examined it. It reminded her of Booth, but then again, what didn't?

OOOOO

Brennan walked purposefully into the restaurant, refusing to lose the nerve she had worked up on the drive over. Jared saw her first and whistled. She smiled and made her way over to him.

"Wow. Now that's a dress." He said as he gave her a hug.

"Thank you." Brennan smiled, knowing that Booth often said the exact same thing to her. As much as they hated to admit it, they were quite similar.

"He's right. You look fabulous." Padme said. "Where is your new boyfriend tonight? I was hoping to meet him." She said.

"He couldn't make it." Brennan said politely.

"Oh, that's too bad." Padme pouted. "Hey, have you seen Hank yet? He was afraid that you weren't going to come." She added with a whisper.

"Of course I would." She said. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Temperance!" She smiled at the sound of her name and turned around. "Get your cute butt over here." Hank said with a wave. Booth glanced across the room at the sound of her name. She looked stunning as always and he couldn't help but smile as the grin lit up her face as she hugged his grandfather tightly.

"Hello, Hank." She said as she enveloped him in a hug. "Happy Birthday." She said as she handed him his present. He caught her wrist and held it close.

"You're wearing the medal I got you." He smiled in surprise.

"I thought it appropriate." She said with a smile.

"So what did you get me?" He asked as he shook the box.

"You have to wait and open it to find out."

"I'm 85 years old, if I wait, I might not get a chance to open it." He said as he tore into the present. He whistled. "A new chess set! These are gorgeous." He said as he picked up a piece and examined it.

"I thought that you might like to show off for all of your friends." She said with a wink.

"You have to play the first game with me." He told her.

"I would thoroughly enjoy kicking your ass in chess." She said with a smile and a kiss on his cheek. He laughed and stared at her in amazement.

"My grandson is an idiot. You know that right?" He asked her as he held her hand. She shook her head.

"He's not." She promised him. "He's the best man I've ever known and he gives one hundred percent of the credit to you for that." She said, putting her free hand over his.

"One day, he's going to wake up and realize what a colossal mistake he made and when he does, make him work for it." He told her. She sighed. "I'm serious. He better be crawling on his knees, flowers, chocolate, the whole deal. Don't make it easy for him."

"You're terrible." She said with a chuckle.

"Speaking of idiots, you are here alone." He noticed. "What kind of boyfriend lets you out of the house looking like that and doesn't come with you?"

"A surgeon." She shrugged.

"Seeley!" Hank called out to his grandson.

"Yeah Pops?" He asked as he jogged over.

"Dance with Temperance." He smiled.

"Um, yeah. Sure thing." He said as he reached out for her hand. She gave it to him reluctantly as she glanced over at Hannah, who watched as they headed for the dance floor. Friday night, Hannah hadn't seemed pleased after their little performance and if it was cause enough for Eric to walk away from their relationship, Brennan figured that dancing with Booth so quickly again wouldn't do much to solidify their budding friendship. As soon as Jared saw the worried look that Brennan was wearing, he handed his glass to Padme. Booth led her onto the dance floor and was just about to speak when Jared tapped her on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Jared asked with a charming smile. "You did tell me that I could have the first dance." He said, with a knowing glance at Brennan.

"I did." She explained reluctantly to Booth, who, ever the gentleman, let go of her hand. "Maybe the next one." She offered as Jared led her away from him as fast as he could.

"Sorry, I just couldn't watch you torture yourself." He admitted as he pulled her close, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back, just as Booth's always had. "Plus, I like watching Seeley squirm. It's good for him." He said with his little brother smile. Brennan smiled back in silence as he twirled her once. As their hands came back together, Jared caught the glint of metal on her wrist.

"Hey, we match." He said as he examined the St. Christopher medal she was wearing. "What happened to you being all science and no religion?" He asked as he wrapped his arm comfortably around her waist again.

"Hank got it for me when I left for Maluku. He said that even if I didn't believe it would keep me safe, it could be a reminder that people were waiting for me and wanted me home again, safe and sound." She smiled. "I treasure it for its personal significance and less for its religious meaning." She admitted.

"And here I thought that Seeley and I were special." He shook his head. "You know what this means? You've officially been marked as a member of the Booth clan now." He said. "Hank's never going to let you go." Tears sprung to her eyes at his statement. When he glanced at her, he suddenly looked worried. "Hey, are you okay?" She nodded and squeezed his hand tighter in appreciation of his concern. "Let's go outside and get some air." He escorted her out the front door and she sighed, trying to compose herself. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She with a smile and wiped the tears out of her eyes, hoping she wouldn't smear her makeup.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry." She said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to it. Padme's a spontaneous crier sometimes too." He teased.

"Yeah, but she's pregnant and hormonal." Brennan said with a smile. "She has a valid excuse."

"How did you know that?" Jared asked, surprised. "Okay, you have to keep that one a secret for a while, okay? No one else knows, not even Seeley." He requested. She smiled and nodded. Brennan stared at the sidewalk for a second before turning to look at him.

"Eric's not at work. At least not here." She admitted. Jared stared for a moment and waited for her to continue. "He was asked to head up the neurology program at UCLA. We broke up yesterday morning."

"Temperance…" Jared started, not knowing what to say, but feeling terrible for her and her recent string of bad luck regarding romance.

"No, it's fine. I told him to go. I wanted him to go." She repeated. "I tried to make it work, I really did. I wanted a second chance, but if it wasn't a second chance with Booth then it just didn't matter." She realized. "No one else knows and I would prefer if it stayed that way. I don't want to ruin the party." He nodded before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in. She laid her head on his shoulder. Booth came outside at that moment and saw his partner and his brother on the bench a few feet in front of him. He paused, not wanting to disrupt the scene.

"You do realize that we officially have one of the strangest relationships I've ever known." Jared chuckled, breaking the mood. He shook his head as she burst out laughing, unable to contain it anymore.

"Quite ridiculous." She said with a smile. "Do you remember the last time we sat like this?" She asked him as she sat up.

"Look, Tempe. You're a great kisser, and all but I'm happily married." He teased. She gave him a glare as she slapped his arm.

"You keep running that ridge, you're going to fall off of it." Brennan muttered, letting him know he had gone too far. He laughed out loud at her statement, remembering their past.

"I believe you pushed me off the ridge last time." He said.

"You deserved it. You were quite a jerk back then." She said unabashedly. Booth smiled to himself.

"Ouch."

"I said back then. It was a qualified statement." She taught him. "Now, you are quite the gentleman. Thank you for rescuing me." She said. Booth's stomach fell. She needed rescuing…from him? "After everything that has happened in the past twenty-four hours, the last thing I wanted was to push Hannah…" Jared put his hand up.

"Hey, say no more." He said. "No matter what happens between you and my big brother, I want you to know that Hank and Padme and I will always have your back." He promised. "And if you ever doubt it, you just look down at your wrist." He said as he held it up for her to see. She did momentarily but then shook her head.

"No. No more. I've cried enough this weekend. I refuse to do it anymore." She handed him his handkerchief back with authority. "We're going back in there, you're going to dance with your wife and I'm going to converse with Hank and we're going to have a good time."

"Yes ma'am." Jared said as he stood up. Booth ducked back into the restaurant before they could notice he had overheard their conversation. Hannah was just coming to find him and he smiled as she walked his way.

"I've been looking for you. Gordon said that dinner is ready to be served. I've been put in charge of rounding everyone up."

"Great." Booth said as Jared and Brennan entered the restaurant again. "Time to eat." He told his brother with a clap of his hands.

"I'll go tell Pops." Jared said as he walked over to Padme and Hank. Booth took in Brennan's red eyes and wanted to ask her about it privately but as he glanced at Hannah, she simply smiled expectantly. From the look in her eyes, it was pretty clear that she was no longer going to leave the two partners alone unsupervised. Brennan's earlier words about pushing Hannah were starting to make a lot more sense.

"Come on, dinner's getting cold." Hank hollered at the stalemated trio in the doorway. Brennan quickly slipped past the couple and sat down next to Hank with a smile on her face. Hannah turned to look at Booth.

"You heard the man. Let's eat." Booth said as he escorted her over to the table, pushing whatever conversation that they were about to have onto the back burner.


	10. The Plethora of Punches

A/N: I know that I've been unable to update. Life, you know? Thanks for everyone who kept checking in and making sure that I hadn't forgotten that I owed you all an update! The next one won't take so long. I promise! I hope that this satisfies. Enjoy!

OOOOO

As the next few weeks flew by, Brennan had been making a serious effort to avoid Booth and they both knew why. He had made up excuses on why he couldn't have that after dinner drink and she had worked through every lunch. Eventually, the two had managed to cut down their relationship to simply being colleagues. Booth knew that as the absence of Brennan became clearer in his life, Hannah relaxed and things had become less tense between them. However, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was missing from his life, a piece of the puzzle wasn't fitting. As he glanced over at Brennan, sitting at her desk, he knew what that piece was. It was his best friend. He had pushed her away before and it had ended poorly. Wasn't it just a few months ago that he had vowed to do a better job of remaining her friend? So why was he cutting her off again? An image of a blonde journalist with an eye for details popped into his head and he shook it away. He shouldn't have to choose between the two, even if Bones was willing to step aside. Then again, she had someone now too.

"Hey Bones, I haven't heard you mention Eric's name in a while, how's that working out?" Booth started, trying to make an effort at small talk.

"It didn't… work out." She added simply without looking up from her paperwork. "He was offered a better position in California and he couldn't pass it up." She said, leaving it at that. "We broke up after the karaoke party." Her words let him know that a job offer wasn't the only reason they had split and Booth's heart clenched in guilt.

"I'm sorry Bones." He said quietly, suddenly feeling the need to apologize. It explained a lot about Hank's party, her confiding in Jared, her need to put some distance between the two of them. Not only had he ruined their own relationship, but he had wrecked things in her new one as well. When it came to her, he just couldn't seem to get it right.

Brennan's head finally lifted to look into his eyes, surprised by his soft apology. He had been so distant lately that his suddenly caring tone sent shockwaves through her body. She had forgotten that his words, his tone, could split her right in two. What was it about him that made her feel so exposed and vulnerable? She had always been surprised at his ability to see right through her, and right now, she hated that he held that power over her. Reminded of the fact that he still had Hannah, she put her full attention back onto the papers in front of her.

"It's fine. I'm used to it." She said simply. Booth was just about to comment, when Cam walked into the room to discuss Angela and Hodgins' baby shower plans. Cursing her timing for such a trivial conversation, he held his tongue and pondered what Brennan's words had meant.

OOOOO

"Alright, I got the presents." Booth said as he entered the apartment. "But I'm going to need your help wrapping them because trust me when I tell you that I do not have a natural knack for it. Hi." He paused in his ramblings to kiss Hannah hello.

"What did you end up finding?" She asked.

"I got the little man…" he said as he pulled open the bag "his first FBI uniform." He smiled proudly, wanting her approval. "Huh? What do you think?" She took the little black onesie out of his hands. It had the same white lettering reading FBI across the chest as all of Booth's t-shirts. "Plus, it'll drive Hodgins crazy." He said with a smile.

"It's perfect." She said honestly as she took it from him and started to wrap it in the tissue paper Booth had also bought.

"I got him some other stuff too. Some toys that Parker liked as a kid, you know, baby stuff." He said as he set the bag on the table.

"I never would have guessed that you would get so into all of this." Hannah commented as she placed the gift in the powder blue bag in front of her.

"I'm the kid's godfather; it's my job to spoil him." He said. "Plus, this is the first baby so everyone's going a little overboard." He admitted. "Although, you didn't hear it from me, but rumor has it that Jared and Padme are next in line." He said.

"Really?" She said, surprised. "Who said that?"

"Bones. She always knows, sometimes even before the mothers do." He said with a proud smile as he popped a grape in his mouth.

"Baby central." Hannah said.

"You know it. And as the only one with baby experience in the family, I have been the one stop shop for baby advice. It's kind of fun being the know-it-all for once in a group of geniuses."

"You're totally holding this over their heads, aren't you?" Hannah said, a knowing smile on her face.

"Forever." He smiled widely.

OOOOO

When Hannah spotted Cam and Brennan, they were standing around the punch bowl and clearly having quite a good time.

"Okay, I'm officially on blue overload." Hannah said as she picked up the mysterious blue punch and sniffed it. "But Angela certainly knows how to throw a party." She said as she took a sip of the punch and winced as it burned the back of her throat. She wasn't sure what was in it, but it would definitely do the trick.

"That's true." Brennan said with a smile. "Although Hodgins is very happy that it's a boy, so he's partly to blame for all of the blue symbolism."

"He's not the only one." Hannah said. "Seeley loves being a godfather and the baby isn't even here yet. He bought all of these toys and clothes."

"Don't let the big scary sniper exterior fool you. Booth loves babies." Cam said. "He's a total softy when it comes to kids."

"Did you two ever think about having kids?" Hannah asked the women. However, a slightly tipsy Cam misunderstood the question's direction and assumed that she was still talking directly to her.

"Me and Booth? Oh God no!" Cam rushed to reassure her. "We were never that serious." She said. "Besides, I never wanted kids. If I did though, I wouldn't be able to find a better father than Booth." Cam said with a smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the pained look on Brennan's face and suddenly realized what she had said that had upset her. She had completely forgotten about Brennan's desire to have a child with Booth.

"I think I've had enough punch. I'm going to just step outside." Brennan excused herself quietly as she left Hannah and Cam alone. Cam glanced over at the quickly disappearing Brennan.

"I think I'll join her." Cam said, running off in pursuit of Brennan.

Hannah, now alone, decided to head for the bathroom. Booth clearly wanted more kids but it was something that she was pretty adamant about not doing. According to everyone lately, not having children with him seemed like she was robbing him of his life's purpose. This was going to cause some tension in their relationship and she knew it. She was just about to leave when she heard Cam's voice enter the bathroom. She quickly ducked back into the stall so she could overhear the rest of her conversation.

"So then I said that if I _had _wanted to have kids, I wouldn't have been able to find someone better than Booth to have them with."

"Oh God." Angela's voice spoke. "You didn't."

"I know. I feel terrible! It was supposed to be a compliment but…"

"Do you know where she went?"

"She left. I have no idea where she might have gone." Cam paused. "How could I have possibly forgotten that they were going to have a kid together?" She asked Angela.

"Well, Booth's brain tumor sort of overshadowed their decision to procreate." Angela said. "We all sort of forgot about it after that, including them. Booth waking up thinking that he was still married to Brennan eliminated any thought of her going through with it. Then came the infamous split to the opposite ends of the earth, leading to Hannah entering the picture and then Eric and now with Eric gone..." Angela rolled her eyes. "Well, I can't even talk about the radio silence that's going on between them right now." She sighed. "As the self-appointed historian of the Booth and Brennan relationship saga, even I get lost in the details sometimes."

"I know but I should at least try to track her down and apologize. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?" Angela gave it a few seconds' thought.

"Tequila." She said suddenly.

"I don't understand." Cam said confused.

"Whenever she needs to mourn over Booth, she drinks tequila." She said. "Remember the team's first case together?"

"Gemma Arrington?"

"Yeah. Booth had to fire Bren for punching that federal judge in the nose and he did it over a bottle of…"

"Tequila." Cam recalled, suddenly knowing exactly where Angela was going with this. "The night of their first kiss." It all made sense.

"To this day, the taste of tequila reminds her of Booth." Angela said.

"It's poetic, I'll give her that. I know the bar. Seeley used to gamble there all the time before he got straightened out. I'll go see if I can find her." Cam said. "You stay here and make sure that he doesn't realize that she's gone."

"God, that's the last thing we need right now." Angela agreed. "Go. Call me if you need reinforcements."

"Wait, you've got Booth and I've got Brennan? Does this feel backwards to you?" Cam asked.

"Welcome to Team Brennan." Angela clapped Cam on the shoulder. "May you be more successful than I have been for the last six years."

"Yeah, because Team Booth has been such a raging success." Cam said as she rolled her eyes. "I'll call you when I find her." As they left the bathroom, Hannah slowly stepped out of her stall. She knew what she had to do, but she didn't know how she was going to do it. She made her way back out into the party and kept an eye out for Seeley. As she made eye-contact with him at last, she nodded towards the back door. He quickly made his way through the crowd and followed her outside.

"Hey, where have you been?" He asked her.

"I overheard a conversation and I need some truthful answers from you." She said.

"Okay, what did you hear?"

"When was the last time you kissed Temperance?" She asked, her eyes demanding he tell the truth. He sighed.

"Who told you about that?"

"Answer the questions Seeley." She requested.

"About a year ago." He said.

"Have you ever slept with her?" Hannah asked.

"No." Booth said adamantly.

"Have you ever been in love with her?" Booth was suddenly finding it very hard to breath.

"Hannah…"

"Tell me the truth Seeley."

"Yes." He said, unable to lie to her.

"When?"

"The last time we kissed, a couple of months before I left for Afghanistan, I asked for more. She said no. I told her that I had to move on and that was the end of it."

"Has she ever been in love with you?" She asked, knowing the answer but wanting him to have to finally tell her the facts.

"I don't know."

"Yes you do." She said with a shake of her head.

"No I don't. She never actually said that she…" He paused, realizing that he was just digging himself a bigger hole. Hannah found his dishonesty made the next question easier to ask.

"When did you two decide to have a child together?" Booth's head shot up to see her face. She was a stone wall, refusing to give him anything to read. He figured it was best to just keep answering the questions like she wanted.

"For about two days back in…2007. I agreed to donate my sperm so that she could have a kid, but I backed out because I decided that I wanted to do it right the next time around. During our conversation, Bones diagnosed that something was wrong with me and two hours later I went into surgery for my brain tumor." He said. "We never spoke of it again." Hannah looked at the ground, unable to believe that she was actually having to stand here and have this conversation with him.

"I can't believe this." She said. "All this time, I told myself that you two were so close because you had spent so much time working with each other. You reassured me that nothing was going on and I actually tried to believe you." She said, suddenly hating herself for being so blind. She was a reporter for God's sake. "I'm just her replacement."

"No!" Booth said adamantly. "You're not. Hannah, I love..."

"Don't." She said, holding up her hand. "Don't say it. Don't even think it right now." She said, unable to hear it when it was so obviously not true. Had it always sounded that desperate when he said it? "I'm going home, I'm packing my things. Don't follow me." She said.

"Hannah…" But she was already walking down the alley towards the street, leaving him alone in the middle of the alley, feeling like he had just had the air knocked out of him.


	11. The Comfort in the Family

**A/N: So the update emailer-thingy is broken at so I'm not expecting anyone to read this right away, and if you do, I probably won't be as quick with the review replies. The quote from the show is from "The Science in the Physicist" Season 4 episode 19. I had the "Every contact leaves a trace" line written about 10 chapters ago and then I happened to catch a rerun of that episode and the "new marks" line made my head explode with the perfectness for this story so I'm glad that we are finally at this chapter! It's been a long time coming. This is going to be a two parter. Ch. 12 should be up later today or tomorrow. Happy Reading!**

OOOOO

There were only five words that were replaying over and over again in Brennan's mind.

_Every contact leaves a trace_.

That was what they were to each other now. Traces of each other, mere remnants of their years of constant contact really, but with a permanence that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Surely a forensic anthropologist, a hundred years from now, would be able to set their skeletons side by side and read it in their bones, see the impact that they had on one another in their own lifetime. What was it that Booth had told her once? She fought through her alcohol-induced fog to find the memory.

_Good people, they leave marks on each other. The least we can do is let them fade away naturally and not, you know, scrape them off or paint over them with new marks._

That's what she had been trying to do with Eric. She was trying to paint over the marks of the good man who came before him. She had failed miserably yet again. For someone who had never truly failed at anything until last year, she was certainly getting the hang of it. Then again, she had always had a steep learning curve.

Cam sat down on the stool next to her and slid the tequila bottle further down the bar, effectively cutting her off.

"What're you doing here?" Brennan asked, her speech sounding surprisingly more slurred than the last time she had spoken at Angela's party.

"I'm checking up on you. Making sure that you are okay."

"Of course I'm not okay." She said as she teetered on her stool. "Everything's wrong. Booth and I are…surviving at best." She said. "But that's my fault. I tried to save our partnership and instead I ended up throwing it all away." Cam wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault, but she knew that a large reason they were sitting there was because of her choice to leave D.C., and more importantly Booth, for the better part of a year. Instead, she just held her tongue and let the drunken anthropologist continue.

"He loved me." Brennan told her boss earnestly. "I mean, really loved me. Not in the dopamine, physical, scientific sort of way, but in the Seeley Booth, fate and miracles, breaking the laws of physics, kind of way." She said sadly. "And now…he has Hannah." Brennan said. "He can have everything he ever wanted."

"And what's that?" Cam asked.

"30, 40, 50 years." Brennan mumbled, starting to get sleepy. Cam looked confused, but figured it was just time to get her in a cab. "Booth wants the wedding in the Catholic church, the wife and kids, the dog." She said as Cam picked her up and headed for the door. "I wouldn't have minded the kids and the dog part actually. Did I tell you I got a dog?" She asked as the front door to the bar swung open and Booth came in. He stared as Brennan was barely staying awake on Cam's shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Cam asked.

"Hannah just broke up with me. I came to get drunk. What are you two doing here?"

"You too?" Brennan mumbled. "Everyone is breaking up! You, me, Hannah, Eric." She listed off on her fingers.

"As you can see, Dr. Brennan has beaten you to the punch. Literally." She said. "Angela's punch plus a couple of rounds of tequila and it's a miracle that she's still standing."

"Miracles don't exist. A scientist like you should know that." Brennan pointed out.

"Then I'm a cop masquerading as a scientist." Cam said. "Will you help me out here please?" She asked Booth, who was uncharacteristically refusing to assist. He could practically feel his inner child stomp his foot petulantly. He figured Cam wouldn't accept an "I don't wanna!" as an answer. With an angry sigh, he knew what he had to do and he took Brennan's arm around his own shoulder, saving Cam from collapsing under the dead weight of his partner.

"God damn white knight syndrome." He muttered to himself.

"Booth is going to take care of you while I call you a cab." Cam informed Brennan.

"I don't want to get in a cab." Brennan pouted, her own inner child coming out with a little assistance from her current blood alcohol level. Booth gave Cam another evil eye as he helped his staggering partner out the door to the sidewalk for some fresh air. They stood in silence for a minute before Cam finally joined them.

"It should be here in a few minutes. I can watch her if you want to go back inside." Cam said, knowing that Booth was just going to turn around and get drunk himself. He shook his head.

"No, she's going to need help getting home. I'll take it from here."

"Are you sure?" She asked. He nodded, wishing for once that he could be the guy who didn't worry about her, who could just walk away and leave her in someone else's hands. "Call me if you need anything." She told him as she headed back towards the party.

"Booth?" Brennan poked him in the shoulder to get his attention.

"Yeah Bones." He said, not amused.

"Am I unlovable?" She needed to know. Booth was saved by the cab that suddenly was rolling around the corner.

"Look, the cab is here so we're just going to…"

"No." She said as she pulled away from him and nearly fell to the sidewalk. She placed her hand on the brick wall to steady herself. "Everyone either leaves or I push them away." She told him. "My parents, Russ, you, and now Eric… Why? Is it because I'm a cold fish?" She asked him.

"You are not a cold fish." He assured her, hoping that she wouldn't notice in her inebriated state that he was really walking her towards the cab. "You've got more heart than anyone I've ever met, Bones." He promised her as he opened the cab door.

"Will you forget about the stupid cab?" She asked. "Why are you always putting me in cabs?"

"Because you never drive anywhere!" Booth said, his irritation growing by the second. "Now get in the cab."

"No!" She said. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome." She reminded him as she fought her way down the sidewalk by feeling her way along the side of the building. "Whenever you put me in a cab, we end up fighting. Every time. And we're going to fight again, Booth. I can feel it in the air." She chuckled. "That's right, I'm so incapacitated right now, I'm actually feeling things in the air, Booth!" She said as she put her hands out in front of her and wiggled her fingers.

"Bones, please." He begged.

"And feeling things…" she struggled to keep both her balance and her train of thought as she pointed a wobbly finger at her partner "…is exhausting. I don't know how you people do this all the time." She said. She stopped to rest, leaning her head back against the cool brick wall. "I'm tired of feeling, Booth." She pouted quietly. "I'm so tired of it." He sighed as she leaned over into the alley and threw up. He made his way over to her and she fell against him, exhausted. He picked her up in a fireman's carry, silently cursing the twinge in his back, and he placed her in the back of the cab. He held her all the way back to her apartment, in the elevator, and through her apartment until he placed her in her bed. He debated the appropriateness of undressing her but figured taking off her shoes and jacket wouldn't hurt. He threw her shoes into her closet, figuring she could do with them what she wished when he was greeted by a low growl. He turned around and was face to face with Edmond.

"Oh God." He muttered, completely forgetting that she had gotten a dog. "So we meet at last." He said as he had a staring contest with the animal. Edmond climbed up on the bed and laid down next to his owner protectively. "Are you going to take care of her then?" Booth asked rhetorically. The dog simply laid his chin down on his owner's stomach. "That's what I thought." He said as he began to get comfortable in her oversized chair in the corner. His feet hung over the edge of the ottoman in front of him, but he couldn't leave her here like this alone. She wouldn't remember how she got home tomorrow morning and that fact alone would send her into a tailspin. He knew how much alcohol she must have had. He had seen her drink a lot during their partnership and he had never seen her wasted before. She had done the act deliberately, and that fact scared him a little.

OOOOO

"Knock, knock." Angela said as she entered the apartment the next morning. "Anybody sober?" She asked as she glanced around the kitchen.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Booth asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Booth?" She called out. "I could ask the same of you." She said as the agent came into view. "I came to take care of Brennan. After everything that went down last night, you were the last person that I expected to sign up for the job of being her caretaker." She said.

"She's still sleeping. And I didn't really have a choice in the matter." He said. "She was…"

"Toasted." Angela finished for him. "Yeah, Cam filled me in when she came back to the party. How are you doing?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." He said stoically.

"And in the meantime?" She asked, wanting to help. Before he could answer, she closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, clearly in pain.

"What's wrong?" He asked as her hand flew to her stomach.

"Nothing. Our little Pele wannabe here is getting restless and has decided that he's going to spend almost all of his free time kicking me into submission." She rolled her eyes. "I think he's going to be a nomad like me. He already hates confined spaces."

"If not, then Bones can teach him karate or I'll let him kick some doors down during an investigation." He offered. "He's got options." Angela smiled.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that this little guy is already so loved…" She said as she began to tear up. "Sorry, hormones." She said.

"Of course he is." Booth promised as he reached across the table for Angela's hand. "You both are." The moment was short-lived as they heard Brennan's shower turn on.

"Sleeping Beauty has finally woken up." Angela said with a glance towards the closed bedroom door. "You're going to need more coffee." She said, speaking from experience. "Ooh, and pancakes." Booth frowned at the artist across the table.

"Bones doesn't like to eat when she's hungover." He said, knowing his partner well.

"I never said they were for her." She said with a definitely look in her eye. Booth stood up.

"Pancakes coming up." He said with a smile.

OOOOO

When Brennan finally emerged from the shower 30 minutes later, she still felt terrible. She wrapped herself in a towel and headed for the kitchen. She was going to need a lot of coffee. She opened her bedroom door and was surprised to see Booth and Angela eating breakfast at her kitchen table. Edmond had placed himself strategically between the two chairs and was catching table scraps as they were thrown his way. Brennan cleared her throat. The happy scene was broken as they both turned their attention to Brennan.

"Bren, you're up." Angela said as she made her way over to her friend. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Like I was hit by a metaphoric 18-wheeler. What are you two doing here?"

"Booth brought you home last night and I showed up this morning to take over, but then he was making breakfast, so I figured…" Brennan's eyes squeezed tightly shut, hoping to hide from the sounds and smells that were coming from the kitchen. "Honey, let's just start by putting some clothes on." Angela said, helping her friend out. Brennan nodded and turned around, following orders. Angela went straight to her closet.

"I can dress myself." Brennan said, pretending that she believed it at the moment.

"What's the last thing you remember about last night?" Angela asked, ignoring her friend's request to be independent.

"Leaving the party." She said with a frown. "But I left alone." She remembered. "I was upset." Angela nodded.

"You went to the bar and drank even more tequila before Cam found you." Angela said as she handed her a shirt.

"So how did I end up with Booth?" She asked, hoping Angela knew.

"Booth came to the bar on his own, but when he saw you, he figured you needed a chaperone more than he needed to drown his sorrows."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Hannah broke up with Booth right after you left the party." Angela clued her friend in.

"What? Why?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm fairly certain it had to do with the discussion the three of you had around the punch bowl last night." She said.

"You know about that?" Brennan said, surprised.

"Cam filled me in after you disappeared. All I know is that he slept here last night. I suppose it also gave Hannah time to move out." She said. "I don't know. You know how private Booth is when it comes to things like this." Angela said. "But he's here, making you breakfast when he should be at home wallowing so you owe him a huge thank you." She reminded her. Brennan nodded as she finished dressing. An apology for breaking up his relationship should probably follow that thank you, she thought to herself.

"Ange, can you give us…?"

"No problem." She said as she cut off the question. "What's between the partners is theirs. I know. I'm gone." She said with a smile. "Let me know if you need me." She added.

"Ange?" Brennan called her back. "Thanks for everything."

"I didn't do anything." She said with a smile and a glance towards the kitchen. "Go talk to him." She said as she left the room. "See you Booth. Thanks for breakfast." She said as she put her jacket back on.

"Anytime. Take care of my godson. Hey! The future kicker for the Steelers." He added yet another option. She waved his idea off but left the apartment with a smile.

**To Be Continued…**


	12. The Heart in the Decisions

**A/N: So I had some issues when trying to post this. Blame FF for the delay. Happy Reading!**

Booth watched the front door close behind Angela just as Brennan's bedroom door opened.

"Hey Bones." He said, watching as she winced at the sound of his voice. "Can I get you anything?" He asked more softly this time, but with a definite tinge of laughter to his voice.

"Coffee?" She requested. He nodded as he poured her a cup. "Do we need to talk about what happened last night?" She asked. Booth glanced at the floor, not wanting to do anything of the sort. She could read him like an anthropology journal but he answered her anyway.

"Maybe later? When you're feeling better." He said. She nodded. "Thanks for saving me from that same fate by the way." He said as he handed her the cup of coffee. "If I hadn't stumbled across you and Cam, I would be the one sitting with my head in my hands this morning."

"Yeah, thank you for everything you did last night and this morning. I'm sure that it was above and beyond your duty as my partner." She sighed. "And I'm sorry." She added hesitantly, not wanting to discuss anything that hurt him more. Booth stared at her, trying to figure out what she was apologizing for.

"For what?" He finally asked after his moment of silent inquiry.

"For being the reason you couldn't wallow last night. For most likely being the reason that you had to in the first place…" She paused.

"You weren't." Booth interjected. "It was my fault that Hannah left. If I had been totally honest with her in the first place, none of this would have happened."

"I don't know. I was totally honest with Eric, it didn't work out so well." She said with a sigh as she stared into her coffee.

"We're quite a pair, you and I." Booth shook his head. A ringing cell phone startled each of them out of their thoughts of self-pity. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. It was work. "Just great." He muttered before answering. "Booth." Brennan's cell phone rang from her purse.

"Brennan." She said as she answered the call. "Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"You have got to be kidding me." Booth said as he hung up his phone. "A senator's aide was just found burnt to a crisp in her barbequed car. Drink the rest of that coffee, Bones. You're gonna need it." He informed her as he grabbed his keys out of his pocket. "Let's go."

OOOOO

Booth had been right. The case had taken up almost all of the team's time for the next two weeks and for that he was grateful. It was hard to come home to an empty bed after living with someone for months, and the fact that he barely set foot through his front door until the wee hours of the morning definitely eased the transition. To make matters worse, Angela had been required to go on bed-rest for the last few weeks of her pregnancy only a few days into the new case. He had once made a statement that if you took one member of the team away, the entire team suffered and Angela had definitely been missed on this case. She took it upon herself to keep everyone's spirits up. Plus, she reminded them all that the remains that they were spending so much time breaking down and analyzing in small pieces and parts were actually the pieces of a real person, ensuring that the squints kept their humanity when dealing with the death and destruction that they surrounded themselves with on a daily basis. Without her, the lab didn't seem like quite the same place.

Booth also knew that Cam had grown weary of realizing just how much she was going to miss the artist over the next few months. They had all known this day was coming, but the reality of it and its effects on their finely-honed work process had everyone shaken up. Booth hadn't even been in the lab that often, but if he had a dollar for every time an employee had said "I don't know, that's Angela's territory." he could buy that 100 inch flat screen he had always wanted. Instead, he just bought Cam a bottle of her favorite bourbon to celebrate the end of the case and stashed it in her desk to surprise her. She was going to need it to get through the next few months in one piece. Booth had also picked up some flowers for Angela. He figured she was probably going stir crazy so he planned to stop by for a visit later that afternoon.

OOOOO

"How are you feeling?" Brennan asked as she sat down in the living room next to her friend.

"Trapped." Angela said honestly. "I've been locked in the house for weeks now. Not even trashy daytime TV is doing it for me anymore. Give me something to dish about." She requested as she sat up on the couch. "What's going on with you and Booth since your mutual break-ups?" She asked.

"Well, after Hannah left, I told him that we had to talk eventually and he sort of agreed, but didn't want to at the time but then we caught this case and we were completely buried in work for the past two weeks."

"But does he seem interested, now that Hannah is out of the picture?" Angela asked. Brennan shook her head.

"He hasn't said anything for me to think otherwise. As far as I know, he's over the whole thing. The last thing he told me was that he really loved Hannah. If he was able to say that, he has to be over me, right?" Angela didn't know what to say. "Besides, even if he was interested, he's going to need time to get over her. I just walked away from a relationship myself. I know how hard that can be." She said.

"Whoa, back up. Are you regretting letting Eric get away? I thought you wanted him to take the job in LA?" Angela asked.

"I had to want it, even if I didn't like it." She said, confusing Angela.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brennan took a moment to process her thoughts.

"When I said goodbye to Sully, I knew right away that I had made the right decision." She said. "I knew because when I turned around, Booth was standing there to wrap his arm around me and tell me that everything was going to be okay." She paused. "But this time, I said goodbye to Eric and I was really alone." She said. "And I didn't want to be alone again. Not after things had been so good with him." She paused. "For the first time in my life, I let a man all the way in. I talked to him as openly as I talk to you or…" She stopped mid-sentence.

"The way you used to talk to Booth." Angela said, saving her the pain of having to say it out loud. She nodded.

"Everyone had always told me I wasn't open enough, that I was never willing to take a chance. I thought that if I changed that, I could actually make a relationship work, you know? The problem was that I was trying to correct past mistakes instead of working on a new relationship. It wasn't fair to him. I had to let him go because it was never going to work." She said, shaking her head. "I'm still not sure if I made the right decision in being alone, but it seems to be the only decision that I could make."

"Because you're in love with Booth." Angela comforted her. "Sweetie, what if Booth really has moved on? What if he finds someone else?"

"I've considered that and I think that as long as our partnership remains intact, I can handle whatever happens. Every action that I've ever taken in regards to Booth, good or bad, has been to preserve our partnership and that will continue. Besides, I'd rather spend the rest of my life alone than be falsely happy with someone else." She said.

"That's a lot of heart, Bones." Booth said quietly from behind her, causing both women to jump a mile. He handed the bouquet of fresh wildflowers in his hand to Angela. "Can we talk outside?" Brennan nodded and glanced back at Angela before heading for the backyard. There was a large porch swing in the garden and she followed Booth out towards it. He sat down and motioned for her to join him.

"So, how much of that did you hear?" Brennan asked as she took her seat.

"I came in around Angela's 'You're in love with me' comment." He said as he threw a sidelong glance her way. She sighed. "I'm the reason that Eric took that job in LA." He stated it as a fact, but it was more of a question.

"I told him to take it." She said, choosing to believe that she had control over the situation. "I wanted him to stay, but I knew that we weren't going to last. I couldn't ask him to do that, no matter how good or right we seemed in the moment."

"Did you love him?" He was surprised that the question left his mouth, but he had to know.

"He made me happy." It was the only answer that she could give him. "It was only a few months. With a little more time, who knows." She shrugged. "It wasn't like you and Hannah." She said, her tone letting Booth know that she really thought he had something important with Hannah.

"Can I explain?" He asked permission. "About Hannah?" She nodded. "When you turned me down that night in front of the Hoover, I wondered if I would ever be able to feel something for another woman ever again." He said honestly as he played with his hands. "And then you decided to take the Maluku job and it was like, you were leaving me physically too, like walking away from a relationship with me wasn't enough." He said, not bothering to hide the pain in his voice. "I was hurt, Bones. All over." She attempted to fight off the hot tears that were stinging her eyes, but it was no use. "And then I met Hannah and it was like, I could breathe again. It was simple and fun…" he paused "and at the time I thought it was completely shallow." He added. "But as time went by, I ended up falling for her and when that call came from Caroline, I didn't want to leave her. When she moved here, I was so thankful. I thought that I could have that freedom I had found with her again." He looked out over the horizon for a second before continuing. "But in order to stay blissful with her, I had to ignore other things, other people, here." He said regretfully. "During the Eames case, I realized just how much I had ignored."

"Booth…" He finally turned to look at her but he shook his head.

"You scared me, Bones. I was terrified when I realized that I didn't have a clue about what was going on with you. Micah told me afterward that you weren't eating or sleeping. I just kept wondering what might have happened if I hadn't been there to push you out of the way of that car." He stopped to take a breath. "So I vowed to do better, to work on bridging that distance that had grown so far between us, but when I finally started paying attention again, someone else had taken my place." He said.

"You're referring to Eric." She confirmed.

"He was the one bringing you food, making sure you got out of the lab, making you laugh. And I was jealous of that." He said, not afraid to admit it. "I know it sounds ridiculous after everything that I did, but I felt like I was being replaced. Not only being replaced, but you let him in." He said. "You trusted him more than you had ever trusted me."

"That's not true!" She cried, horrified that he felt that way.

"I couldn't understand. What was it that he had to offer that I hadn't already offered you? The questions drove me crazy. I think that's why I kept so much from Hannah. She was my getaway from all of the constant thoughts that came from being near you. The last thing I wanted was for her to be asking me questions about our past too." Brennan nodded, understanding what he was saying. "But then, there were always brief moments where everything just seemed so right: singing karaoke, watching you talk to Pops, even just sitting in your office after a long day of work. The problem was Hannah noticed them too. She knew that I wasn't being completely honest. She could feel it. So when she overheard at Angela's party that we not only had a past, but that we had once agreed to have a child together…" He exhaled. "Even if I wanted to, there was nothing I could say to defend myself." He said.

"Did you?" Brennan asked quietly. "Try to defend yourself?"

"I wanted to at least talk to her about it and I don't know, try to explain?" He said. "But she wouldn't have any of it and I can't blame her for that. And now I'm sitting here with you."

"I guess that means it's my turn." She said. Booth nodded, giving her the floor. "When I turned you down, it wasn't because I didn't care about you, it was because I cared about you too much. At that point in time, I knew that you wanted a wife, a family, you wanted someone who would love you the way that you loved them forever. I've had feelings for you for quite some time, but I knew what I could offer you and it wasn't what you wanted. I knew that Sweets had gotten to you that night, I saw that look in your eye."

"What look?" He asked, surprised that she could read him at all, let alone know his specific looks.

"The impulsive look of a gambler about to roll the dice." She said honestly. "Except you were going to gamble with the most important thing in my life: our partnership." She shook her head. "I told you that I couldn't gamble. I told you that I was a scientist, I needed…"

"Evidence." Booth finished the sentence for her with a nod.

"You had never even suggested a relationship before, in fact, you drew the line multiple times. What was I supposed to think? I had no idea that you had changed your mind on that, no matter how you might have felt about me. Plus, I was terrified of what would happen if it didn't work out. If you took a chance on me and then realized that I couldn't be what you wanted me to be, it would tear everything apart. I couldn't lose our partnership, Booth. I couldn't." She wiped away a tear and looked at him. He couldn't make eye contact with her so she thought it best to continue. "And then, almost immediately after you asked me for a relationship that would have turned both of our worlds upside down, you said that you had to move on." Booth cringed, knowing what that must have sounded like to her. "Looking back, that part hurts the most. There was no discussion, no talking, it was just all or nothing." Brennan shook her head. "I couldn't have chosen differently, Booth. Not at the time." The pleading in her voice begged him to understand.

"I know." He said, mostly to comfort her.

"I knew that I had hurt you and so when the Maluku offer came along, I did what I thought was best. I figured some time and space apart would give me time to analyze the situation and give you time to move on. When I finally did analyze the situation, I realized that I didn't want you to move on. It only took a few weeks out of your presence for me to realize what a huge mistake I had made. I tried to focus on work but even a groundbreaking anthropological discovery couldn't get me to stop thinking about you. I would lie awake at night reliving my choice over again, imagining what would have happened if I had said yes. Of course, the daydreams were tempered by the nightmares."

"What nightmares?" He asked, hoping she would let him in.

"There were a few. In one, I sat by the coffee cart and waited for you but you never came. You were killed in the line of duty and no one had told me. In another, I just relieved your shooting, but I was on the other side of the room, frozen. No one could hear me or see me. I couldn't move so I just had to watch you bleed out. I felt so far away from you." Booth reached out his hand to hold hers, his heart clenching in his chest at the confession.

"God forbid if something had happened, you would have been called." He promised her, as if that was supposed to comfort her now. "You were on my…"

"List?" She finished wryly, knowing that it didn't make a bit of difference the last time he died. Booth realized why she had these fears in the first place and he had a sudden urge to hunt Sweets down and kill him. He took a deep breath and the urge passed, a little.

"I would have come back from the dead to tell you myself if I had to. Nothing like that is ever going to happen again." He assured her and himself. She thought about commenting, but decided to get back on track.

"Anyway," she said, getting back to her story "when Caroline called me, I thought that we could start over, have a clean slate. I was so happy to see you." She recalled. "I felt like I wasn't officially home until we hugged hello because you were what I associated with home." She smiled, thinking her own thoughts were foolish. "But when I pulled away, I saw it. You were still closed off. Your smile didn't reach your eyes. A few minutes later, I knew why."

"I couldn't let you in." He said, realizing it more now than at that time.

"I know." She said. "And I really thought that I could handle it, but when I saw you with her, the way you had claimed you wanted to be with me, I couldn't stomach it. I spent weeks telling myself that it was for the best, that you and I could never have had what you two shared, but then the Eames case happened."

"And you changed your mind?" Booth asked.

"I knew that I had to tell you. I couldn't take that information to my grave. It wasn't fair to you or me. I wasn't surprised when you turned me down. I didn't really expect you to do or say anything differently but as much as it hurt to talk about it, it actually gave me a sense of peace." Booth watched her intently as she spoke, trying to understand every word that he could. "I met Eric a few days later and we just talked, for hours, about everything and I felt so much better. He was exactly what I needed to feel like I was finally able to move on and I did, at least for awhile. But the closer that we became, the more I realized that I was working on having a good relationship to make myself feel like I could be worthy of what you saw in me, and not what he saw in me." She looked down at her hand in Booth's. "I wanted to be better and I wanted to be better with you." If Booth were acting honestly, he would have kissed her right then and there. But after a ten minute speech about how your impulsiveness ruined the last year of someone's life, it was better to not act honestly. Instead, he just pulled her into his shoulder and held her against him for a few minutes, pondering everything they had just said to each other.

"Did you mean what you said in there about spending the rest of your life alone?" He asked, grateful that her head was on his shoulder and she couldn't see through him anymore.

"I don't see myself having any sort of formal relationship with anyone else." She said. He pondered that a little longer before speaking again.

"I'm not ready." He spoke just above a whisper, unsure of how she was going to react to his statement.

"I know." She murmured in return.

"I don't know when I will be." He added.

"That's okay."

"Will you wait for me anyway?" He asked her. She smiled at his hesitant question.

"Always." She said simply. He kissed the top of her head in gratitude. It was a simple action, but it screamed of intimacy and Brennan felt her heart stop for a beat before starting again at an erratic pace. Somehow, Booth had shown her yet again that she had made the right decision in letting someone go. She knew in that moment that she would always choose sitting next to him in silence over anyone and anything else. She had made her decision and she would wait forever if that's what he needed.


	13. The Baby in the Bundle

A/N: For biba79, who single-handedly managed to get me to write this chapter through her guilt trips by reminding me that clocks were ticking and calendar pages were flying off the wall, and to Sunsetdreamer who deserves to read something for fun after all her hard editing work! Hehe. You're both awesome and I definitely owe this whole chapter to you. Also, if there are any mistakes, I'm blaming you two because I'm posting in the middle of the night and my editing eyes are dead. I hope that this is what you all were waiting for!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

OOOOO

As soon as Brennan walked up the steps from Bone storage, her cell phone came to life. They really had to get better reception down there. She had missed two calls, both from Booth. He had left a message on his last attempt. She dialed her voicemail and walked into her office, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey Bones, it's me. You're probably in Limbo so I'll keep this short. Cullen just handed down an important undercover gig and I'm on my way to Philly with a team of agents as we speak. I'm going to be out of touch for a while. This also means that I'm probably going to miss the arrival of the Hodgins baby so you've got to step up and take over the god-parenting duties until I can get back, okay? And take care of yourself while you're at it. You know, eat, sleep, leave the office when the sun is still up. Hopefully, this case will crack wide open and I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone. Talk to you soon. Bye."

Brennan set her phone down on the desk and stared at it for a moment. She hadn't seen him since that day they finally sat down and talked about their problems in Hodgins' backyard. They had both needed the rest of the weekend to process and when Monday rolled around, they hadn't had a case. She had spent the first part of her week in the lab and he, apparently, had been working on a different case. She knew it was a completely irrational feeling, but she hated when he worked on other things without her. For the first time ever, she wondered if it bothered Booth when she consulted on other projects without him. Clearly, she had an enormous amount of work that she did solo but she had never given it pause. She made a mental note to ask him the next time she saw him. With a glance at the clock, she realized that it was dinner time and she shook her head with a smile as she thought of Booth's list of demands. The sun was still up and she was going to eat. He would be so proud.

OOOOO

As Booth signed the last form of his paperwork, Cullen handed him back his things.

"You have no idea how much we appreciate you doing this, Agent Booth." He said. "We knew that we had to catch them now or they would have been gone forever."

"You're not wrong there." Booth said as he picked up his cell phone. "I'm glad that it all worked out."

"As am I." Cullen said. "And I want an update on that injury in a week."

"It really won't need that long to heal." Booth said, looking down at his thigh. The bullet had barely grazed him and the doctors hadn't even bothered to stitch it up, preferring instead to glue it shut.

"The Bureau needs to cover its ass and you deserve the time. Think of it as a free vacation." Cullen said as he walked away. Booth looked down and turned on his phone, wondering if he would have any messages. He figured that everyone important knew that he was undercover and wouldn't be around, but he still had hoped to hear news regarding Angela's pregnancy. Sure enough, several messages popped up. He listened as he walked to the car.

"Hello. It's me. I'm calling to let you know that Angela had her baby. It's a boy." Brennan said. Booth smiled. "His name is Michael Joseph Hodgins. I hope you don't mind that I told them your middle name. They wanted him to be named after you in some way." Booth suddenly felt his chest get tight at that knowledge and he was thankful he was alone in his car so no one was witness to the sudden emotion he was experiencing. "Hold on, Cam is gesturing for me to give her the phone." She informed his voicemail as Cam took over.

"He was seven pounds, twelve ounces and perfectly healthy. He has all his fingers and toes. He has Angela's dark hair and big brown eyes. Now get your ass home and meet your godson." She said with laughter in her voice. Booth grinned as the message ended. There were a few messages from Parker, telling him about school and the results of his soccer games that Booth had missed while away. Parker had no idea why Booth was gone, just that he was on a work trip. It was yet another conversation that Booth was putting away for someday. He hoped he wouldn't be too curious about his injury to his leg. The older he got, and the more he hung out in the lab with the squints, the harder it was to keep him in the dark. The reminder of seeing his son in the lab caused Booth to smile yet again. Hodgins and Angela had a son.

OOOOO

Booth drove straight home to shower and change and give Parker a call to catch up on the past few weeks. Since it was Sunday afternoon, he figured a quick drive over to see the Hodgins' family wouldn't be too disruptive for the new family. However, when he pulled into the driveway, he suddenly remembered what had happened the last time that he was here. He probably should have called Brennan to let her know that he was back but frankly, he thought that the time and space had been healthy for them after the purging that was their last conversation. He rang the buzzer at the gate and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello."

"Hodgins, it's Booth."

"Hey! Welcome back. I'll buzz you in." Hodgins said as the line went dead. Booth waited for the gate to open and then made his way to the house. As he got out of his car, Hodgins met him on the front step.

"Booth." He said with a smile.

"Congratulations, Dad." Booth said as he gave him a hug.

"Thank you. Thank you." Hodgins said, beaming from ear to ear.

"How does it feel?"

"It's so surreal. Angie was just… amazing. The whole thing was…" Booth watched on with an amused grin "and I'm rambling. Sorry, sleep deprivation." He stopped himself. "Come on in. Come meet your godson." Booth followed Hodgins into the house and down the corridor to the den.

"Look who I found." Hodgins said as he smiled at his wife.

"Booth." Angela said with a smile. "How was Philadelpha?"

"Work." He shrugged. "I'm sorry that I missed everything back here. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Do you really want an answer to that question?" She asked. "I've been told that I have been sleeping for a few hours a day, but I don't actually remember it." She said as she glanced at Hodgins, who was picking up Michael out of the cradle in the corner.

"It gets better." Booth assured her as he patted her knee. "If you need any help, you'll call, right?" He made her promise. She nodded.

"Booth, this is Michael Joseph Hodgins." Hodgins said as he brought the baby in and handed him to Booth.

"That's my middle name." Booth smiled as he took the blue bundle from Hodgins.

"I would hope so. We named him after you, dummy." Angela said. Booth just smiled and looked down to examine the infant in his arms. Cam was right. He did look a lot like Angela. He had her coloring, with his dark hair and eyes, but he definitely had his father's face.

"Hi there, little man." He said as he played with the tiny hand on his finger. He had forgotten just how small babies seemed when you held them for the first time. "He's beautiful, Ange." He said with a proud smile.

"He likes you." Angela said with a smile. "Remember when I told you that he hated confined spaces? That hasn't changed. He's a nomad like me. He hates being held for too long. We have to pace constantly." She said.

"It's true." Hodgins laughed. "We're going to have to put new floors in if he keeps it up. But when we stop, he starts screaming."

"Poor Cam, she tried to hold him when he was being fussy. I think she took it personally." Angela said. Booth grinned at the thought of Cam holding a screaming newborn.

"Now that I would love to see. You'll do it again, won't you?" He asked the newborn rhetorically. Michael chose to sigh indifferently and cuddled into Booth's arm.

"Now's your chance." He said as he glanced over at Angela and Hodgins. "Go nap. Right now." He said. They both looked at each other, unsure. "I'm serious." He said with a smile and watched as Hodgins pulled Angela off the couch. "Consider it payment for missing out on all the action last week." He said. Angela gave her son a kiss and rubbed Booth's shoulder before following Hodgins out of the room. Booth glanced down at the sleepy child and decided to go for a walk. He headed down the hallway and towards the kitchen. He had just gotten through the dining room when the phone started ringing. So much for nap time, he thought as he glanced upstairs, hoping that the couple wasn't asleep quite yet. Using his best detective work, he managed to find the nearest phone and answer it.

"Hodgins' house." He said, unsure of the exact protocol for answering someone else's phone.

"Booth?" It was Brennan.

"Bones! I was planning on calling you later." He said.

"I thought you were undercover?" She said.

"I was, until this morning." He said. "I got your message and I came over to meet MJ."

"MJ?" Brennan said skeptically.

"Yeah, you're right. Too many famous people have used that. We'll work on it." He promised the child in his arms.

"Is Angela nearby?" She asked.

"No, I sent her and Hodgins to bed. They looked exhausted. I'm babysitting for a bit."

"Well, I was planning on bringing dinner over, so what would you like?" She asked her partner.

"Thai." He requested without skipping a beat. She chuckled at his quick response.

"Okay, I'll be there soon." She said as she hung up on him.

OOOOO

"Look at you." Booth glanced up to see Brennan smiling in the nursery doorway. He was in a rocking chair, the baby in his arms fast asleep. "You're a natural." Brennan whispered as she shook her head at the scene in front of her. With her soft smile and the light from the hallway silhouetting her form, Booth knew that she was the only thing in the world that could take his attention away from the blue bundle of joy in his arms at that moment.

"It looks like everyone is still sleeping, so I'm just going to put the food in the fridge." Brennan said as she turned around to go finish the task of putting dinner away.

"Hold on and I'll give you a hand." He said before lowering the sleeping infant into his crib. Booth hadn't seen her in person since their talk weeks ago and he was desperate to get some time alone with her. Brennan knew that his help was unnecessary, but she didn't stop him from following her into the kitchen. He gave her a glance as she opened the fridge door and he handed her a bag from the counter.

"What?" She asked, knowing he wanted to say something.

"I want a time-out." He said, glancing around the room as he pulled her away from the fridge and shut the door.

"I don't know what that means."

"You know, a time-out. A thirty second window of time where there are no consequences to my actions?" He tried to explain. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to figure out what that meant.

"But there are always conse…" but she couldn't finish because Booth had pushed her into the counter and was staring at her in a way that made her heart stop beating. Oh, she thought, realizing what he was talking about. And then he was kissing her. His lips danced against hers lightly, keeping the kiss chaste and brief; however, Brennan was suddenly glad that he had the foresight to lean her against something solid. "What was that for?" She asked as he pulled away.

"I don't know." He said honestly. "I missed you. And Hodgins and Angela have a son." He said, as if it were a miracle. "And they gave him my middle name."

"It's an honor." She informed him.

"A great honor." He agreed. "And I'm just…I'm happy." He said as if the emotion were a surprise. "And when I'm happy, you're the person that I want to share it with." He explained with a sheepish smile. His confession rattled her. She still couldn't believe that he fully knew what he was getting into with her. Surely a man like him couldn't be dazzled by a woman like herself. However, it had been that same thinking that had nearly destroyed their partnership so she pushed the thought out of her brain and decided to follow his lead.

"Thirty seconds?" She requested before leaning in and kissing him her thanks for the compliment. He smiled as she pulled away.

"What was that for?" He repeated her earlier question.

"Because I find that your happiness makes me happy." She smiled.

"What a vicious cycle." He commented as he shook his head.

OOOOO

The first week of Hodgins and Angela both being gone from the lab had been difficult to get through, but somehow Cam had managed to get everyone organized enough that the team solved a case without them. Sure, it had taken twice as long, and they had done it without a facial reconstruction but she knew that the interns were working twice as hard in an attempt to make up for the lost employees.

"Cam, we're celebrating. Stay, have a drink with us." Booth said as he waved down the bartender for another beer.

"I appreciate the thought but I can't stay. I've got a date." Cam said as she stood up.

"Where's the guy?" Booth asked.

"I'm meeting him at the restaurant. And I don't want to hear the speech." She said as she held up her hand, knowing what was about to come out of his mouth.

"What speech?" Brennan asked as she glanced over at her partner.

"The chivalry speech that he always breaks out when I meet someone rather than letting the man pick me up."

"A real first date is when a man asks you to dinner. He picks you up, brings you flowers." Booth told Brennan. "It's just the way it should be." Cam rolled her eyes at her friend and shook her head.

"In the 1950's, maybe." She said. "This is the 21st Century, Seeley."

"Bones?" Booth asked for some backup. She just shook her head. There was no way she was choosing between her boss and her partner on this one.

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan. See." Cam fought the urge to stick out her tongue.

"She didn't say anything!" Booth defended himself as he watched Cam start to leave. "Be careful, please?" Booth requested. Cam raised her hand in acknowledgement of his appeal, but didn't turn around.

"I should get going too. I've got a publisher's breakfast in the morning." Brennan said as she picked up the last of her drink and finished it off.

"Hey, Bones?" She gave Booth her attention. "Before you go, I was just wondering if maybe you would like to have dinner with me this weekend. I'd pick you up, bring you flowers…" She smiled and looked down at her feet, debating not if, but how she was going to say yes. When she looked up again, she saw something in his eyes that surprised her. It was certainty.

"Dinner would be nice." She smiled.

"Tomorrow night? Say, seven?"

"Sure." She nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said coolly, impressing even herself with her composed demeanor. Booth smiled as she walked away. He had a date with his partner tomorrow night.


	14. The Healing of the Wounds

A/N: This story is quickly come to a close. I expect only one or two more chapters left! What started out as a oneshot that I almost deleted without posting has now become one of my most popular stories. I'm both shocked and amazed at what you all have turned this into. And sure, it didn't turn out at all like I planned at the beginning, but I hope that you all have enjoyed the ride. Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, but oh if I did….

OOOOO

"I find that I'm not good with sitting still when I'm out in the field." Brennan said, getting really bored with sitting on this bench, even if she was sitting next to Booth.

"Relax Bones, we're just two people, sitting in a park, enjoying the nice weather." He said, trying to make this surveillance mission easier on both of them.

"Hey, Booth, there he is." Brennan slapped Booth's arm. He glanced down at her hand before turning his attention to the street corner.

"Hey Reynolds!" Booth called out in a friendly and slightly disguised voice. Reynolds turned to see who was calling out to him and, once recognizing it was not a friend, but a special agent of the FBI, he turned and ran away as fast as he could. Booth took off after him. He tackled the perp to the ground and handcuffed him.

"Why do you always seem to be running away from me, Jerry?" Booth asked as he handcuffed him.

"Cuz it's good for your heart. A little exercise now and then…Ow!" Booth twisted his wrist as he finished cuffing him. "Police brutality." He yelled out.

"Come on. I would actually be offended if you thought that this is my version of brutality." Booth rolled his eyes. "Jeremy Reynolds, you are under arrest for breaking and entering, trespassing, evading arrest and whatever else we can find that may apply. You have the right to remain silent." Booth began as he read him his Miranda rights as he stood up and brought Jeremy to his feet.

"Booth?" Brennan said as she turned her attention to his leg. Booth glanced down at his jeans, where a blood stain was beginning to grow on his thigh.

"Son of a bitch…" He groaned. Luckily the cop car was arriving on the scene and Booth handed the responsibility to another officer. Booth made his way over to the SUV and sat down in the back, shutting the door behind them. He pulled down the side of his jeans and sighed. It was going to have to be restitched.

"Where's the first aid kit?" Brennan asked as she climbed over the backseat.

"In the back." He said as she found the first aid kit, and brought it back over the seat with her. She cracked it open and pulled out some gauze.

"When did this happen?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if he would talk about it with her.

"In Philly. It was barely a flesh wound so they just glued me up and sent me home."

"A knife?" She asked.

"A bullet." He corrected her. She paused to give him a death stare but she continued fixing him up. "Barely a flesh wound! That was a direct quote from the doctor, I promise." He reminded her, but he winced as she pressed down harder into his leg to punish him a little.

"Well, clearly, this doctor was both incompetent and wrong." She said, angry at the person who decided that Booth's injuries were so simple. "You need stitches this time." She finally said. "Hold this," she said, removing her hand from the gauze. He took over gauze duty as she climbed into the front seat. "You know, I find that the only time I'm allowed to drive this car is when you are injured. It has created a feeling of hatred of being behind this wheel." She informed him as she started the car.

"Trust me, I'm not a fan of it either." He assured her.

OOOOO

After Booth was stitched up and given some pain medication, Brennan drove him back to his place. She knew how Booth normally reacted to pain medication, so she figured it was best to keep an eye on him for the next couple of hours.

"Instead of our date tonight, how about we stay in instead." She suggested as she parked the car. Booth frustratedly threw his head back against the headrest. In all of the rushing, he had completely forgotten about that. "I know that you had specific plans in mind, but maybe we can just postpone them for another night." She tried to ease his anger as they walked up the sidewalk to his door.

"I'm sorry, Bones. I did have plans and this was definitely not on the agenda." He said.

"I don't need an agenda, Booth. I just like spending time with you." She said honestly as she pressed the elevator button. "Although I would prefer it if our future plans avoided the emergency room." She said with a small smile. He chuckled, his frustration dissipated in the snap of a finger.

"The ER nursing staff knows us by name, Bones. Chances are good that we'll be back." He said confidently. The doors swung open and Booth stepped inside. "Come on. We'll order in and I'll let you pick a movie." He promised as she joined him in the elevator.

"You won't make it five minutes into a movie before you're unconscious." She said, knowing it was true.

"Hey, I might surprise you." He said as the elevator doors slid open again. He pulled out his keys and headed for his front door.

"Mama's soup for dinner, then?" Brennan asked as she pulled out her phone, knowing it was his post-hospital food of choice. Booth smiled, fighting the urge to kiss her again.

"That sounds perfect." He said. "What do you want to watch?" She stopped to think about it.

"Casablanca." She said, knowing that it had been a while since she had seen it and that it was one movie that they both agreed on enjoying. Booth smiled again as he reached for the remote. He was finding that it felt clumsy in his hands and he knew that the meds were kicking in.

"Hey, Bones?"

"Yes?" She asked, waiting expectantly for his question.

"Forget the soup for a second and come here." He said. She walked over and sat down on the couch next to him. He leaned against her shoulder and started the movie.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"If I only get a few minutes with you before I fall asleep, I want to make them count." He said with a goofy grin on his face. "In about ten minutes, I'm going to be unconscious and you're going to order food and finish watching Casablanca without me."

"I am?" She said.

"Yes."

"I thought you were going to surprise me?" She teased him.

"I lied." He said as he settled in under a blanket and put his head on her lap, resting his injured leg on the arm of the couch. "I'd rather just lay here with you until I fall asleep." He said honestly. She smiled, taking the remote out of his hand and pressing play. True to his word, he was asleep and snoring lightly in a matter of minutes.

OOOOO

Brennan watched Booth sleeping and pondered how they had gotten to this point in their relationship. It seemed like just yesterday she was chasing him down in the Jeffersonian garden, blackmailing him into taking her out into the field, but so much had happened since then and they had both changed dramatically in the past six years. They had both changed a lot in the last six months. The Bakelite phone next to her started to ring and she picked it up quickly, not wanting the ringing to wake up Booth.

"Hello?"

"Hi Temperance. Is Seeley there?" It was Rebecca.

"Bones?" Brennan smiled as she heard Parker's enthusiastic voice in the background. "Can I talk to her? Please?"

"Booth is currently sleeping. He tore open his stitches from his previous gunshot wound this afternoon when he was chasing a suspect and had to get them restitched this afternoon. He's on pain medication, which as you know, doesn't sit well with him." Rebecca hadn't known that he had been shot at all. She made a mental note to talk to him about that.

"Mom!" Rebecca felt the tugging on her shirt.

"Temperance, would you mind talking to Parker?" She asked. "He seems very eager to speak with you."

"I would love to." Brennan said with a smile.

"Here." Rebecca handed the phone over to her son.

"Hi Bones!"

"Hi Parker, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm good. I won my soccer game today!" He said proudly.

"Congratulations." As she listened to Parker tell her about his life, she hadn't noticed that the soft snoring next to her had ceased. Booth kept his eyes closed and his body still as he listened to their animated conversation about his science class. His heart overflowed at the connection that the two held. He laid there and thought about all of the Christmases, the game nights, the bond that the two had instantly had and then he thought about Parker and Hannah. Parker had made it clear from the get go that he didn't like Hannah, even before he met her. Booth hadn't realized it at the time, but looking back, he could see how severing his personal relationship with Bones had separated their relationship as well. No wonder Parker had disliked Hannah at first. Brennan must feel like another mother to him. Booth was stirred from his thoughts as Brennan slowly slid out from under his head and stood up.

"If it's okay with your mom, why don't we meet at the park tomorrow afternoon and you two can play?" She offered. Booth frowned, what had he missed? Silence reigned as Booth imagined Rebecca and Parker having a conversation on the other end of the line. "Excellent, I will pick him up tomorrow then. No, thank you. Goodbye." Brennan said before hanging up the phone. Booth stirred, pretending to wake up so he could find out more information.

"Hey." He said as he fluttered his eyes open.

"Did I wake you?" She asked, hoping that wasn't the case. He shook his head and stretched.

"How long have I been out?" He said as he glanced at the clock on the wall.

"An hour." She said. "How's your leg?"

"Better." He said as he sat up.

"I just got off the phone with Parker. I'm going to take him to the park tomorrow so he can meet Edmond. He was quite upset when he heard that I had gotten a dog and hadn't told him." She said seriously.

"You're going to introduce my son to your dog?" He said, making sure he had the facts correctly. "Argh. Rebecca and I are never going to hear the end of that one. He's wanted a dog for years."

"Well, he is welcome to borrow Edmond when he wants to play with a dog. That way, he can experience all of the perks without any of the responsibility falling on your shoulders." She said, as if the solution were simple. Booth smiled at her logical thinking.

"You're going to have to chase them both around the park tomorrow, you realize that?" He said as he shifted his leg, trying to get comfortable.

"I find that idea quite enjoyable." She said honestly. "Would you like to join us, despite the fact that you are incapacitated right now?"

"Yeah." He said. "You may have to wheel me out there on a gurney, but that sounds perfect." He said, taking offense at her terminology. She rolled her eyes at his overdramatic behavior.

"Are you going to be awake for a while?" She asked.

"I think so, why?"

"I'm going to go get that soup that I promised." She said as she reached for her purse. "Do you need anything else while I'm out?" He shook his head.

"Soup is fine." He smiled. "Hey Bones?" He called out, causing her to turn around. "Thanks. For everything." He said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Booth." She responded hesitantly, as if she were unaware at why he was grateful. "I'll be back soon. Call me if you need anything." She added.

OOOOO

The next morning, Brennan picked up Booth and then headed to Rebecca's house to pick up Parker. Edmond sat patiently in the back seat, silently enjoying the scenery passing outside the window. They were planning on going to the park next to Booth's apartment as it had a wide open field where Parker and Edmond could play catch freely. Parker was waiting on the front steps when they pulled into the drive and didn't even let them get out of the car before jumping into the available seat in the back.

"Hey buddy." Booth said. "Ready to go?" He asked rhetorically. Brennan smiled at him and slapped his knee.

"Parker, this is Edmond." Brennan introduced them. The dog perked up at the sound of his name and looked at his owner. Parker reached out to pet down the dog's back.

"Buckle up, buddy." Booth said as Brennan put the car in reverse. Parker did as he was told and it wasn't long before they were at the park. Brennan got out of the car and took the leash off of Edmond and handed his ball to Parker

"There you go." She said.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Booth asked as he hobbled out of the car and towards the nearest park bench.

"He'll be fine. Edmond is well trained. He doesn't even need the leash really." She said. It was a gorgeous spring day and Booth knew that some time in the sun would be nice. He smiled as Brennan sat down next to him. Parker tossed the ball in the air and Edmond went after it. Booth glanced over at Brennan and took her in. She was smiling at his son and her dog playing in the green grass. The sun was on her face and his heart overflowed. It had been happening a lot lately in her presence and he reached over and wrapped his arm around her. She looked surprised at the action, but she didn't say anything. They both watched the dog and boy playing for a minute before Brennan whispered in his ear.

"This is one of the nicest first dates I've ever been on." She confessed with a smirk. Booth stared at her.

"Oh no, this is not going to be our first date." Booth said.

"Why not?"

"For starters, my son is here." He said.

"So? I like your son." She said. Booth smiled. "Besides Booth, we are way past the stage of getting to know one another. I know that you have these ideals of what a good relationship entails, but we've always done things…differently from everyone else. I don't see why our dating life would be an exception to that." Booth pondered what she was saying as Parker laughed and got a slobbery kiss from Edmond on his hand. "You disagree." Brennan sighed, wondering what he was thinking.

"No, Bones, I really don't." He said as he looked at her. "You're right. I just, I don't know where that leaves us. I've never done it this way before."

"If it makes you feel any better, neither have I. It will be an experiment." She smiled.

"Trial and error?" Booth said, not sure if he liked that idea.

"It requires a great deal of trust to do that." She pointed out. "To be willing to make mistakes and know that the other person will still be there. Do you trust me that much?" She asked, unsure if he was really ready to put his metaphoric heart in her metaphoric hands. Booth looked at her like she was crazy.

"Of course I do, Bones." He said with a certainty that surprised her. "I trust you more than anyone else on this planet." She nodded.

"Good, because I trust you more than anyone else on this planet." She repeated his example. Booth felt the air rush out of his lungs and he reached out for her hand and kissed it.

"Dad! Look!" Parker shouted, stealing his father's attention.

"Yeah, I see that." He said, half-heartedly, hoping to buy more time with Brennan. But as Booth turned his attention back towards her, she just smiled and she stood up. She joined Parker in the field, teaching him about physics and throwing the ball for Edmond, leaving Booth to sit back and watch his two favorite people frolic in the park.


	15. The Remnants From the Case

A/N: First order of business. Finale? What? My line from chapter 14 about doing things differently than most couples seemed to be prophetic. Also, I'm moving and starting my summer internship this week, so expect delays on all fronts while I get my new life sorted. The hazards of RL on my writing life. Only one chapter left of this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

OOOOO

Booth smiled as he sprinted up the steps to Brennan's apartment. It had been a long week for everyone. Caroline had informed everyone that Heather Taffet's first appeal hearing would be on Monday and the entire team was feeling the stress. He figured a date night was exactly what Brennan needed right about now so he was here to surprise her. He knocked on the door and listened for her footsteps. He frowned as they didn't come to the door. He knocked again. Trying the knob, he realized that the front door was unlocked. Getting worried, he pulled out his gun and opened the door.

"Bones?" He called out. "You home?" He was met with silence. Edmond glanced up from the couch for a moment before laying his head back down on the nearest pillow. Booth checked every single room, but she was nowhere to be found. He holstered his gun and pulled out his cell phone. He pressed two on his speed dial and waited for the ring. Suddenly, he heard the ringing in her bedroom. He went back through the hall and found it sitting in her purse on her dresser. He started adding up the scene in his head. The door was unlocked, her phone and bag were here, but she wasn't? He tried looking around for any sign of what she might be doing: a gym bag, something missing from her closet, but he was at a loss. Where the Hell was she?

OOOOO

Brennan came in with a basket of fresh produce. She had plans for vegetarian lasagna that she was confident even Booth would find appealing. Suddenly, she realized that Edmond hadn't greeted her at the door and that he wasn't on the couch where she had left him. She stopped and listened, wondering where he was. She heard footsteps in her bedroom. She quietly set the basket down on the end table and reached for the bat she kept by the coat closet. She made her way down the hall and walked into the bathroom, hoping to catch the person unawares as they came down the hallway. She tightened her grip on the bat as she heard the almost silent footsteps heading for her. She raised the bat to strike.

"Freeze, FBI." Booth shouted as his gun came face to face with Brennan and her bat. Edmond barked once for good measure, letting Booth know that he had his back. Brennan and Booth were both confused for a second as they tried to process what was going on.

"Booth?" Brennan said, confused as to why her partner was holding her at gunpoint in her own apartment.

"Bones?" He said as he lowered his gun. "What the Hell are you doing, trying to get yourself shot?" He asked.

"It's my apartment, what are you doing?" She asked.

"The door's open, your bag is still here, but you're gone? What was I supposed to think?"

"I was at the roof garden." She said.

"You should have locked the door. Anyone could have just walked in!" Booth said, taking out his nerves on her.

"Like you?" She said with a roll of her eyes. "I was only gone for two minutes, Booth." She said as she made her way out of the bathroom.

"No, no, no. Don't give me that." He said as he followed her to the living room. "I am not being dramatic." He said as he put his gun away. "You know what it's like to realize that someone you love is missing." He said. "And given the fact that the Gravedigger appeal is coming up on Monday, you cannot blame me for thinking the worst." He said. Brennan stared at him. She opened her mouth to comment, but changed her mind, shutting it again. Booth's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't have won the fight that easily. She simply walked towards the front door, retrieved her vegetables and brought them to the kitchen. Booth stayed where he was, unsure of what was happening. He could tell that he had upset her as she began taking out the produce and furiously cleaning it under the running faucet.

"Bones?" Booth said, knowing that he had said something, but he had no idea what it was. "What's wrong."

"You think that she's going to get out." She said as she scrubbed a zucchini clean. Booth sighed, slightly thankful this was about the Gravedigger and not about them.

"I don't." He said, believing his own words. "She kidnapped and killed a child. She did it for no other reason than because she could. You and your team, you proved it. No judge is ever going to appeal that case." He assured her.

"Then what? You think that she can hurt us from inside prison? Do you think she could have someone working for her?"

"Bones…" Booth said as he turned off the faucet and spun her around to face him, wanting her attention. He wondered why she was taking his offhanded comment so seriously. "What is this really about?" He asked her gently. She turned around and set down her brush in the sink, unable to look him in the eye for a moment. He watched as her shoulders slumped forward.

"We're happy." She said, as if that were all he needed to know.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific for me there, Bones." He requested. She turned around.

"Hodgins and Angela just had a baby. Cam has Michelle, and you and I…" She didn't need to finish.

"We're happy." Booth repeated, understanding her first statement with a nod.

"Yes." She pouted, letting her real concern show for the first time.

"And you think it's too good to be true."

"I acknowledge that it's all occurring, but..." She said.

"You're waiting for the other shoe to drop." He said. "I know. I feel that way too sometimes."

"You do?"

"Sure." He nodded. "It comes with the job. You always expect the worst. But, Bones, if we let her get to us, she wins." He said.

"I know." She said. "I am simply more cognizant of the fact that the more I have, the more she can take away."

"Only if we let her." He said. She sighed as she contemplated his words. She knew he was right so she forced a small smile before hugging him.

"Thank you." She murmured as she buried herself in the crook of his neck.

"You're welcome." He said, rubbing her back. It wasn't very often that she let her guard down and he was glad that he could be here for her when she did.

"And thank you for not shooting me." She added. He let out a brief chuckle at the sincerity in her voice.

OOOOO

Booth glanced at the clock on her wall. It was getting late but he didn't dare move from their spot on the couch. Brennan was lying on his chest, her head tucked under his chin, and they had a blanket thrown over them as they watched a movie. The credits began to run and Brennan made no attempt to move. From the steady rise of her chest against his, he could guess that she was probably asleep or very close to it. He smiled into her hair and pulled her a little closer.

"I'm not asleep." She mumbled, trying to sound convincing even though her eyes were still closed.

"No?" He asked. He could feel her smirk pressing through his t-shirt.

"Mm. I'm just resting my eyes." She promised. "What time is it?" She asked.

"Late." Booth said as he ran a hand over the small of her back. "Come on, I'll carry you to bed." He offered. Still, he couldn't help but acknowledge the feeling of loss as she sat up and moved away from him.

"Will you, I mean, if you want to, would you like to stay?" She asked, hoping he would say yes. Booth edited the ecstatic thoughts running through his head and simply chose to smile.

"Yeah. I'll stay." He said coolly as he reached out for her hand. She smiled and took it in her own. They made their way to the bedroom, turning off lights and electronics as they went. Brennan stopped into the guest bedroom and pulled out a travel kit for Booth. When she returned, she handed it to him but he just stared at her, confused.

"Toothbrush, some other things. I never know when my father or Russ is going to show up." She said with a smile.

"Thanks Bones." He said. "Can I?" He asked as he motioned for her bathroom. She nodded and smiled. Booth stood at the sink brushing his teeth. They had slept together in the same bed before but there was something about this time that felt…different. Maybe it was the fact that they weren't on assignment and they weren't so tired they could barely stand up. He thought back to a case a couple of years before when they had literally made it to the couch in her office before collapsing in each other's arms. Luckily, they had woken up before anyone had witnessed the event. He had convinced himself that the wonderful sleep had simply been because he was so tired, but now, he knew better. It was her presence, her scent, her skin that brought him comfort.

He walked out of her bathroom and into her bedroom, suddenly feeling like he was occupying a holy space. Despite their closeness, the two had somehow come to a silent agreement that their bedrooms were basically off-limits unless drastic measures were called for. Maybe it was the sexual tension, maybe it was just the normal, polite thing to do, but he could count the number of times he had set foot in her bedroom on one hand in the seven years they had known each other. Brennan didn't seem to notice this intrusion as she sat in bed, applying lotion to her hands. From what Booth could see above the comforter, she had changed into an adorable cotton nightgown with a variety of colored polka dots on it.

"Did you find everything you needed?" She asked as she finally noticed him staring at her from the doorway.

"Yeah, thanks." He said as he walked the rest of the way into the room. He stripped down to his boxers and tried not to feel awkward as he joined her in bed. This was officially the first time he had ever slept with a girlfriend before having sex with her. Brennan smiled at the sight of him next to her and turned off the light before he pulled her back into his arms. They both sighed at the feeling. She was made for him. Booth knew it. There was no other explanation that could possibly explain how well she fit in his arms.

"Booth?" Brennan said quietly.

"Yeah Bones?"

"I'm glad you're here." Booth smiled as every tension fell away from his body.

"Me too." He replied.

OOOOO

Booth woke up to something hitting his arm. He felt it again and he opened his eyes to see what was attacking him in the middle of the night. He glanced over to see Brennan fighting something in her sleep. Booth had experienced enough nightmares to recognize one and he was just about to wake her up when she did that on her own. She sat up and was gasping for air so he reached out to touch her arm. She jumped a mile at his touch and pulled away.

"Bones, it's okay. I'm right here. You're safe." He comforted her with his words instead. She closed her eyes and started to cry. "Shh. It's okay, you're safe. It was just a dream." He said as she finally let herself be comforted by him. She fell into his arms and he held her tight. He continued murmurings of comfort into her ear.

"She took you." Brennan said as she wiped away the tears. "It was so real." Booth didn't need to ask who 'she' was.

"She's in prison, Bones." He said, using her own logic to comfort her. "She's in prison and she's never going to hurt us again. I promise."

"I had to identify you." She whispered, horrified at the idea.

"Bones…" Booth cut her off before she became distraught again. She didn't stop.

"They brought you in to the lab in a bag. Unidentified remains that had been found macerated by beetles. She had left a note for me. It said 'For Dr. Temperance Brennan, I hope this helps speed the identification process along.' I unzipped the bag a little and I knew instantly from your skull." She said as she looked up at him with wet eyes. "Your jaw." She said as she ran her fingertips down his jaw line. "And the remodeling in the skull from your brain surgery." Booth felt his own throat swell with emotion. "I still couldn't believe it so I unzipped the rest of the bag. I couldn't deny it then. I saw every injury on your bones. The bullet that grazed your ribcage, the spreading from the war, your poor feet…" She didn't finish. Booth wrapped her tighter into his embrace and held her firmly as he thought about what she had said.

"Listen to me." He said, demanding her attention. "I'm right here and I always will be." He promised. "I love you and nothing and no one is ever going to change that." She nodded, even if she wasn't entirely convinced. It was easier to let herself believe him in the middle of the night. Booth saw the look but she spoke before he could comment on it.

"I love you too." She said. He hadn't even realized he had said those particular words until she returned the sentiment. Without another word, he laid her down underneath him and kissed her. He would gladly spend the rest of the night providing some evidence to prove his claims.


	16. The Love in the Life

A/N: In the words of the Walrus: "The time has come". This story has been a huge challenge and a constant surprise to write. I cannot thank you guys enough for all of your reviews and time spent. It means a lot! I hope that you enjoyed it and if you did, please feel free to check out my other stories! Happy Reading!

OOOOO

Brennan stared at the wall as she felt Booth's chest rising and falling against her back. She couldn't help but think back to the Eames case when she had been so frightened of ending up alone for the rest of her life. She remembered the late nights at the lab, the conversations with Micah when she was convinced she was going crazy. She had heard the universe and it had told her to tell Booth the truth. Little had she known that it would set her on the path that would lead her here.

She wondered what had ever become of Eric. She imagined a world where he was chief of neurosurgery in a hospital in California. He was probably dating a supermodel/ actress/debutante philanthropist and living his life in peace. He was like Sully that way. They always found their peace wherever they went.

She also wondered how Hannah was doing. In Brennan's imagination, she was in the desert somewhere, chasing down a story, riding a camel and living an adventurous and nomadic life. Of course, Brennan hoped that her impact on Booth and Hannah's relationship hadn't left a scar. Hannah had been a decent person and if she hadn't been sleeping with the love of her life, Brennan might have actually gotten along quite well with her.

She thought about her family at the lab. Cam and Michelle, her irritating but loyal interns, Angela and Hodgins and now, little Mikey, as Booth had affectionately dubbed him. They were a beautiful family and she was glad that she could have such good-hearted and kind people in her life.

She pictured her father and Russ and Amy, as well as the girls. She knew that without Booth, she wouldn't have been able to find them again. She was thankful that they had all come back into her life.

She thought about Parker and Edmond playing in the park together and an unbeatable smile instantly came to her face.

And as the man behind her began to stir, she knew without a doubt that she had beaten every single obstacle that life had ever thrown her. She had survived her childhood, the abandonment and the abuse of the foster care system, and even the glass ceilings within her field. She had identified thousands of remains and had locked away hundreds of criminals. She had faced guerrillas, death squads, gangs and kidnapping serial killers. She also knew that the greatest revenge she could ever exact was to be lying in this bed right now, completely and one hundred percent content. Booth was right. The world hadn't won. It couldn't win because it would never be able to destroy this feeling that lying in his arms brought her. This was indestructible, powerful. It was everything.

She smiled as she felt him kiss her shoulder blade and she turned over to greet him.

"Good morning." She smiled.

"Hi." He said with a tired smile. "How are you feeling this morning? Any regrets?" She shook her head.

"None." He picked up her left hand and smiled as he twisted the silver band delicately adorning her finger.

"Good because I have to admit, I love the way that ring looks on your hand." He smirked. Brennan had always said that she needed a good reason to get married. Making Booth happy was the greatest reason she could ever think of. She didn't need the piece of paper and frankly, she could care less so long as they were together, but to see the smile on his face and the look in his eyes when he got to say the word 'wife', she wouldn't give that up for anything.

"Are you having any regrets?" She asked as she climbed over top of him.

"About you? Impossible." He said honestly as he looked up into her eyes and brushed the curtain of hair away from her face.

"I'll remember you said that." She murmured as she kissed him. "How about I play your domestic wife and order you breakfast?" She asked her husband.

"Breakfast would be great." He said, trying to remember the last time he ate. Between the sex and the dancing and the alcohol, he couldn't quite get his brain to reach back that far. His stomach growled at just the idea of food.

"Eggs and bacon?" She said, knowing him well.

"Yes please." She reached over him for the phone, but paused. "What?" He asked her, knowing that something was wrong.

"It just feels strange, for me to be the one reminding us to eat." She chuckled. Booth smiled. "It's not usually my responsibility."

"Well, you've been taught by the best." He teased. She rolled her eyes and started to dial. He watched as his wife (God, he would never tire of saying that) ordered them breakfast and he couldn't help but stare. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and she was his, forever. They had taken a Hell of a winding road to end up where they were now, but Booth had learned so much about himself and about what he truly needed in life along the way. He knew that they were exactly where they were supposed to be. As she hung up the phone, she turned back to face him and caught him staring.

"What?" She asked, feeling self-conscious at the way he was looking at her. He just smiled and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you." He said.

"For what, breakfast?" She asked, confused by his gratitude. "Because that really isn't a big deal." He shook his head.

"For helping me evolve." She couldn't fight the sappy grin that covered her face. She wasn't aware when she had become the person whose heartbeat sped up at lines like that, but she knew that it had definitely occurred. It was only made worse by the fact that Booth had such a wonderful memory and a smile that could charm a snake.

"Then I should return the thanks." She said. "You helped me evolve even more than I helped you." She knew it was true.

"I don't know, Bones. You helped me quit gambling, taught me about logic and truth, and a Hell of a lot about science." He said. "You turned me into a pretty smart guy for being a gut person."

"I am responsible for a few of those things, but I am not responsible for that." She said as she shook her head. "You were always a good man, Booth." He looked doubtful so she persuaded him the only way she knew how. She kissed him long and slow, drawing him towards her as she fell backwards onto the bed. He covered her body with his own as he pressed her deeper into the mattress. They finally broke the kiss as they heard knocking on the suite door. Booth groaned as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"If I had eaten anything in the last twenty four hours, I would ignore it." He assured her.

"We can make time to eat, Booth. We have the rest of our lives to have amazing sex." She promised him with a teasing grin as she slipped out from underneath him and put on her silk robe that Angela had gotten for her.

"Hold on." Booth said as he grabbed her passing hand and pulled her back for one more kiss. "Okay, now go." He gave her permission to leave the bedroom and answer the door. He smiled like a fool as he read the stitching on the back of her robe.

_Mrs. Booth_

Brennan heard Booth's surprised chuckling at her gift as she left the bedroom. The sound vibrated within her own core and she smiled instantly. Yep, there was no doubt about it: Living well certainly was the best revenge.


End file.
